Chapter 16 Chapter Fourteen: How to Read Imaginative Literature

So far, this book has discussed only half of what most people read.However, this is probably a broad estimate.Perhaps the average person really spends time reading only newspapers and magazines, as well as readings related to personal work.When it comes to books, we also read more fiction than non-fiction.In non-fiction fields, like newspapers and magazines, topics related to major contemporary news are most popular. The rules we set out earlier are not trying to trick you.Before discussing the details, we stated that we must limit our scope to serious non-fiction.If you explain imaginative literature and expository works at the same time, it will cause trouble.But now we can no longer ignore this type of work.

Before we get started, we want to talk about a bit of an odd oxymoron.The problems of reading imaginative literature are more difficult than those of reading expository works.Yet the average person seems to have the skill to read literature more broadly than to read science, philosophy, politics, economics, and history.Why does this happen? Of course, maybe many people just deceive themselves that they have the ability to read novels.From our teaching experience, when we ask a person why he likes novels, he always shows a dumbfounded look.It's clear they're having fun, but they can't say where, or what part of the content they enjoy.What this might mean is that people can be good readers of fiction but not good critics.We suspect this is only part of the truth.Critical reading relies on one's overall knowledge of a book.Those who can't say why they like novels may just read the surface without going deep into the inside.In any case, there is more to this contradictory concept than that.The primary purpose of imaginative literature is entertainment, not education.It is easier to please entertainment-oriented reading than educational-oriented reading, but it is more difficult to know why it pleases.To analyze beauty is much more difficult than beauty itself.

To make this point clear, a further analysis of aesthetics is needed.We can't do that here.However, we can give you some advice on how to read imaginative literature.In the beginning, we will start with negative statements without establishing some rules.Second, we'll briefly translate the rules for reading nonfiction into the rules for reading fiction, by analogy.Finally, in the next chapter, we will address the problems that arise when reading particular forms of imaginative literature, such as novels, plays, and lyric poetry. ※ "Don't" to read imaginative literature

In order to explain in negative form, it is necessary from the outset to grasp the difference between expository and literary works.These distinctions would explain why we cannot read fiction as we read philosophy, or poetry as we can prove mathematical theories. The most obvious difference, already mentioned, has to do with the goals of the two styles.Expository works convey knowledge—knowledge that has or has not been in the reader's experience.Imaginative literature is articulating an experience itself—an experience the reader can have or share only by reading—and, if it succeeds, a treat for the reader.Because of their different intentions, these two different works have different appeals to the mind.

We all experience things through our senses and imagination.We all use judgment and reasoning, that is, reason, to understand things.This is not to say that we don't use our imagination when we think, or that our sensory experience is completely independent of rational insight and response.The key is to emphasize which aspect of the problem.Fiction is mostly about using the imagination.That's why it's called imaginative literature, as opposed to rational science or philosophy. The facts about imaginative literature lead to the negative instruction we propose: Do not resist the influence that imaginative literature has on you.

We have discussed many active reading methods.This applies to any book.But in expository works and imaginative literature, the applicable methods are quite different.In expository writing, the reader should be like a bird of prey, constantly alert and ready to reach out with claws.In reading poems and novels, the same activity is performed in different ways.If we will allow it, we may say that it is somewhat passive activity, or, more properly, that it is enthusiasm with vitality.When reading a story, we must behave in such a way that the story lives in us.We're going to let the story run through us and do whatever it wants.We have to open our hearts and accept it.

We should be grateful for expository works—philosophy, science, mathematics—disciplines that shape the real world in which we live.But we also can’t live in a world full of these things, and we have to get rid of them every now and then.We're not saying that imaginative literature is ever or essentially escapist.Viewed from a general point of view, the notion of escape is despicable.But in fact, even if we really want to escape from reality, we should escape to a deeper or greater reality.This is our inner real world, our unique worldview.Discovering this truth makes us happy.This experience deeply satisfies parts of ourselves that we normally do not have access to.In short, the rule of reading a great work of literature should be to aim at some deep experience.These rules should remove as much of the barrier as possible to our experience of this profound feeling.

The basic difference between expository works and imaginative literature creates another difference.Since the goals are completely different, the two works must be written differently.Imagination literature will try to use the multiple meanings hidden in the text, so that the unique diversity of these words can increase the richness and rendering power of the article.The author uses metaphors to hold the book together, just as a logical author uses words to illustrate a single meaning.Dante's "Divine Comedy" uses general poems and novels, but everyone has a different experience when reading it.The logical aim of an expository work is complete clarity, without ambiguity.There can be no other meaning between the lines.Everything that is relevant and stateable has to be made as clear as possible.Imaginative literature, on the other hand, relies on the implication of words.Metaphors with multiple meanings convey messages between the lines, sometimes richer than the words themselves.What the whole poem or story says cannot be described by words or words.

From this fact we derive another negative imperative: in imaginative literature, do not look for consensus, theme, or discourse.That is logical, not poetic, they are completely different.The poet Mark Van Doren once said: "In poetry and drama, narrative is a medium that makes people more ambiguous." He wants to "tell" something.However, looking at the poem as a whole, all the connections between the lines and the interaction with each other state something that is completely beyond the theme. (However, imaginative literature includes elements like consensus, theme, and discourse, which we will discuss later.)

Of course, we can learn from imaginative literature, from poems, stories, and especially plays—but not in the same way as we learn from books of philosophy or science.We all know how to learn from experience—the experience we live in every day.So we too can learn from the experiences that fiction creates in our imaginations.In such situations, poetry and stories can entertain us as well as educate us.But that's not the way science and philosophy teach us.Expository works do not provide us with novel experiences.The experience they guide is one that we already have or can gain.This is why expository works teach us fundamentals, while imaginative literature teaches us derived meaning by creating experiences from which we can learn.In order to learn from a book like this, we have to think from our own experience.In order to learn from books of philosophy and science, we must first understand their thinking.

A final negative directive: Do not criticize fiction by the same standards as are applicable to the transmission of knowledge, consistent with truth.For a good story, the so-called "truth" is a realism, an inner possibility, or a likeness to the real.It must be like a story, but it doesn't have to describe the facts of life or the truth of society as if it were doing research or experiments.Many centuries ago, Aristotle emphasized that "poetry and politics are inconsistent with the standard of correctness." Or, with physics or psychology.If a work of anatomy, geography, or history is treated as a technical treatise and there are technical errors, it should be criticized.But getting the facts wrong doesn't affect a novel as long as it speaks for itself and brings the whole to life.When we read history, we hope to see something of the truth.We have the right to complain if we don't see the facts.When we read a novel, what we want is a story, as long as it is actually possible to take place in the world created by the novelist and recreated in our hearts. After we read a philosophy book and understand it, what do we do?We'll test the book against a shared experience—that's where it was inspired, and that's the only reason it exists.We would say: is this true?Do we feel the same way?Have we always thought this way, but never realized it?What may have been vague before, is it obvious now?Although the author's theory or explanation may be very complicated, isn't it clearer and simpler than our confusion about this concept in the past? If we can answer the above questions in the affirmative, the communication between us and the author has been established.When we understand, and do not disagree with, the author's point of view, we must say, "This is indeed our common belief. We tested your theory and found it to be correct." But poetry is different.We cannot judge Othello on our own experience unless we are also Moors married to Venetian ladies suspected of infidelity.And even so, not every Moor is Othello, and not every Venetian lady is Desdemona.And most of these couples are likely to be happily married without encountering the insidious Iago.In fact, such unfortunate people are rare.Othello is as unique as the play. ※ General rules for reading imaginative literature In order for the "don't" directive above to be helpful, some constructive advice is definitely needed.These suggestions can be derived from the rules for reading expository works. Earlier we talked about the three sets of rules for reading expository works. The first set is to find out the overall and partial structure of the work, and the second set is to define and interpret the consensus, theme, and discussion in the book.The third group reviews the author's doctrine, completing our understanding of his work with an opinion for or against it.We call these three sets of rules structural, interpretive, and critical.Similarly, we can find similar rules when reading poetry, novels and plays. First, we can change the structural rules—the rules of syllabus—to those appropriate for reading fiction: (1) You must classify imaginative literature.When lyric poems narrate stories, they are basically based on expressing personal emotional experiences.The plots of novels and dramas are more complex, involving many characters, interacting and reacting to each other, and emotional changes in the process.Besides, everyone knows that plays are different from novels because plays tell the story with actions and words. (We'll talk about some interesting exceptions later.) Playwrights don't need to speak for themselves, but novelists often do.All these differences in writing bring different feelings to readers.Therefore, you should be able to tell at a glance which kind of work you are reading. (2) You must be able to grasp the general idea of ​​the entire book.Whether you can grasp this depends on whether you can explain the general idea of ​​the whole book in a sentence or two.For expository works, the emphasis is on the main problem the author wants to address.Therefore, the general idea of ​​such books can be explained by equations for solving problems, or answers to questions.The general idea of ​​a novel is also related to the problem faced by the author, and we know that the problem is to convey a specific experience, so the general idea of ​​a story is always in the plot.Unless you can succinctly state the plot—not the gist or argument—you're still missing the point.There is carelessness in the plot. Note that there is no conflict between what we mean by the overall plot and the unique language to be used in the novel.Even a lyric poem has what we here call a "plot."However, the "plot" of a lyric poem, a novel, or a play refers only to its structure or scene, not to the specific experience that the reader recreates in his mind through the work.The plot represents the gist of the whole work, which is the experience itself.This is like making a logical summary of an expository work, which represents a summary of the exposition in the book. (3) You must not only be able to simplify the whole book to a general idea, but also be able to discover how each part of the whole book is structured.In expository works, part of the structure is related to the overall structure, and the solution to a part of the problem is helpful to the solution of the whole problem.In a novel, these sections are the stages through which the writer develops the plot—details of characters and events.Both types of books have their own ingenuity in the arrangement of the various parts of the structure.In a scientific or philosophical work, the parts must be organized and logical.In the story, these parts must appear in proper timing and planning, that is, a process from the beginning, the middle to the end.To understand the structure of a story, you must know where the story begins—not necessarily from the first page, of course—what happens in the middle, and what the final outcome is.You need to know what are the different keys that lead to orgasm, where and how does it happen, and what is the aftermath of it? (When we say "after effects" we don't mean what happens after the story ends, no one can know that. We mean what happens after the climax in the story happens.) Following the emphasis we have just made, an important consequence emerges.In expository works, each part can be read independently, but the novel is different.Euclid published his Principia in thirty parts, or as he said it, in thirty volumes, each of which may be read separately.This is one of the most well-organized examples of an expository work.Each of these parts or chapters makes sense individually or together.But a chapter in a novel, a scene in a play, or a line of poetry usually becomes meaningless when taken out of the whole. Second, what are the rules of interpretation when reading a novel?As we said earlier, the language used in poetry and logical works is different, so the rules used in finding consensus, theme and argument need to be changed a bit.We know we shouldn't be doing this, but we had to figure out something like that. (1) The elements of a novel are episodes, events, characters and their thoughts, words, feelings and actions.These are the elements of the world created by the author.The writer manipulates the variations of these elements to tell the story.These elements are the consensus in logical works.Just as you have to agree with the author of a logical work, you also have to be familiar with the details of every event and character.If you're not familiar with the characters and can't empathize with the events, you haven't grasped the essence of the story. (2) Consensus is related to the subject.The elements of the novel relate to the scene or background of the overall performance.An imaginative author creates a world in which his characters "live, act, and have their own world." Thus, a similar rule in reading fiction that guides you in finding the author's themes can be stated as follows: In this imaginary Feel at home in the world.Knowing that everything is going on, it's like you're there in person.Become a member of it, willingly befriend its characters, and participate in events with compassion and insight, just as you would do for a friend's encounter.If you can do this, the elements of the novel will stop being like lone pieces moving mechanically on a chessboard, and you will find the connections between them, giving them real aliveness. <3) If there is any activity in an expository work, it is the development of exposition.A logical progression from evidence and reason to structure.When reading such a book, it is imperative to follow the development of the argument.After identifying the consensus and themes, analyze its inferences.And in the reading of interpretive fiction there is a similar last rule.You know the characters, you join this imaginary world, you live with them, you agree to the laws of the society, you breathe the same air, you taste the same food, you travel the same highways.Now, you must follow them through this expedition.These scenes or settings, social assemblies, are static connections (like themes) between the various elements of the novel.And the disclosure of the plot (like the discourse or inference) is a dynamic connection.Aristotle said that plot is the soul of a story.To read a story well, you have to be able to put your finger on the author's pulse and feel every beat. Before concluding discussing analogous rules of reading fiction, we would caution you not to examine these analogous rules too closely.These similar rules are like a metaphor or a symbol that, if pressed too hard, may collapse.The three steps we recommend for outlining will take you step-by-step through how an author would complete a work in an imaginary world.Rather than spoiling your enjoyment of reading a novel or play, this will enhance your enjoyment and give you a greater awareness of the source of your joy.Not only do you know what you like, but you also know why you like it. Another reminder: the preceding rules apply mostly to novels and plays.The same applies to lyric poetry with storytelling.Lyrics without storytelling still apply this rule, just not as well.A lyric poem is presenting a specific experience, like a long story, trying to recreate that experience in the mind of the reader.Even the shortest poem has a beginning, a middle and an end.Just as there is a chronological order to any experience, no matter how fleeting.In a short lyric poem, though there may be very few characters, there is always at least one—the poet himself. Third, and last, what are the rules of reading criticism for fiction?You may remember the distinction we made in expository writing, that is, criticism based on general principles, and criticism based on one's particular point of view—particular criticism.According to the part of the general principle, just make a little change.In expository writing, the rule is: don't review a book until you know it—don't say you agree with or disagree with the argument.So here, a similar rule is: don't criticize an imaginary work until you have a heartfelt appreciation for the experience the author is trying to create for you. There is an important corollary here.A good reader does not question the world the author has created and then recreated in his own mind.Henry James said in (The Art of Fiction): "We are to accept the author's themes, ideas, and premises. We can only criticize what he has created." That said, we owe the author Write the story out.For example, if the story takes place in Paris, one should not insist that it would be better if it happened in Minneapolis, Minnesota.But we have the right to criticize what he wrote about the Parisians and the city of Paris. In other words, we should not disapprove or approve of novels, but like or dislike them.When we criticize commentary works, what we care about is the facts they state.In criticizing aesthetic literature, as the name implies, our main concern is its beauty.Such beauty closely echoes the joy we experience deeply. Let us restate these rules below.Before you can say that you like or dislike a literary work, first you have to be able to really work hard and appreciate the author.The so-called appreciation refers to appreciating a world created for you by the author through your emotions and imagination.Therefore, you cannot enjoy a novel if you only read it passively (in fact, we emphasized, read it enthusiastically).Passive reading does not increase comprehension, as does reading philosophy.To be able to appreciate and understand, you must take the initiative when reading, and you must use all the rules of analytical reading that we have said before. Once you have completed this reading phase, it is time to comment.Your first comment is naturally a taste of yours.But in addition to explaining whether you like it or not, you must also be able to say why.Of course, the reason you say may really be criticizing the book itself, but at first it sounds like you are criticizing yourself—your preferences and prejudices—and has nothing to do with the book.Therefore, to complete the critique, you have to objectively point out that certain events in the book have caused your disgust.You not only need to be able to explain why you like or dislike it, but also to be able to express which parts of this book are good and which are bad, and explain the reasons. The more clearly you can pinpoint the reasons for your joy in a poem or a novel, the better you will understand what is good about the book.You'll slowly build up the standard of criticism, and you'll find many people who share your tastes to share your arguments with you.You may also discover something we believe to be true: people who know how to read have good literary taste.