Assignment 4

Summary of “Tackling Textuality - With Theory” by Peter Barry

Keywords:

• Close Reading
• Literary Theory
• Micro- and Macro Patterns
• Meaning vs. Significance
• Linguistic Period
• Metaphorical or Literal Reading
• Deconstructive Reading


Peter Barry starts of by explaining how the new ‘A’ level specifications have a double message; teachers are to be aware of the development of the range of literary studies, and close reading is central in the study of literary. Normally, we understand a text by close reading and do not think of any specific literary theory, but due to these new specifications, teachers and critics are now obligated to think of both.

Further, he discusses ten different ways readers and critics take on literary texts: overall structural patterns, similarity beneath apparent dissimilarity, distinguish between overt and covert content, distinguish between meaning and significance, terms of genre or literary type, how we read literal as metaphorical, how we read the surface of the work accurately, patterns in literary works, stages and phases within a literary work and finally how we read in linguistic period, aware of semantic change. These ten ways of understanding a text are necessary; they are impossible to exclude. However, they are not enough. Since these ten mainly focus on the text itself, we never get to consider the relationship between the literature and our surrounding, something theory helps us do.

Barry uses Shakespeare's Sonnet 73 as an example to show the different theory aspects (literature and history, literature and language, literature and gender, literature and psychoanalysis). Here he tells about how certain things in the text can have different meanings just by looking at different clues. By analysing a text, or in this case a sonnet, it awakens new questions we probably would not think of else and gives us an urge to discuss and find the meaning of these unanswered questions. One example in literature and gender is when Barry mentions the common question “what are the signs in this poem that it is written by a man rather than a woman?” Here he argues that the sonnet is written by a man because there are some words that would be unlikely for a female speaker to associate herself with. Without theory, we would probably not be able to recognize this relationship between gender and language.

To emphasize his arguments Barry chooses to give a clearer and a more solid explanation of one of the theories, literature and language. Here he discusses “what is deconstruction?” contra close reading. A deconstruction text has a war within, which is shown by “contradictions, quirks and aporia, shifts or breaks (in tone, viewpoint, tense, person, attitude, etc.) and absences or omissions”. In the poems 'Oread' (Hilda Doolittle) and 'Transit' (Adrienne Rich ) we see how deconstruction texts might look like. ‘Oread’ is an unreadable poem, words that are put together and make no sense to us, and ‘Transit’ contains all signs of a deconstruction text, mentioned above. While ‘Oread’ makes no sense, ‘Transit’ keeps fighting itself all the way through.

As a conclusion to why we continue using literary theory, despite the fact that it just brings us to new questions, Barry writes: ”Firstly, the complexities it gets itself knotted up in really are there. And secondly, trying to unravel them is enlightening, and sometimes even fun.”

Proposal to solve the problem of unhappy pigs

Huston we have a problem! In today’s society, it is well known that we humans tend to be stressed and unhappy; but did you know that also our pigs now suffer from unhappiness? Several pigs walk around with straight tails; this is a sign that they are unhappy. When our pigs are miserable we also get poor meat quality, which is not good for our health. So what can we do to improve the pigs’ conditions, except for curling their tails with a curler?

To begin with, pigs live in small crowded bins. These do not let the pigs get their well-needed space to relax or get their own time; something also these creatures need. Crowded, tight spaces makes the pigs more stressed, which often results in overeating, and in turn gives us unhealthy pork.

Further, the pig feed we present and give these animals is often made to fatten them; it is mainly junk food. The forage if full of fat and glucose syrup, and this forces the pigs to eat more than they should since it to them tastes very good. By overeating, the pork quality is also effected because these animals are fed with only junk.

Finally, we all know how much pigs enjoy their mud baths. But, unfortunately, they do not get to have these baths as often as they would like to. This in its turn makes them feel depressed, because they do not get their fun-time. As we know, it is crucial that we humans have fun, otherwise, we end up angry and depressed; this also happens to the pigs when they do not get to play and have fun. When it comes to the pork, it always tastes better when we know the animal has lived a happy life.

The solution to these problems could be that we make new rules for the pig farmers to follow. A pig needs more space to feel happy; therefore, I suggest that one rule could be that a pig must have at least 10 square meters to walk around and live in. In addition, this living arrangement must also be connected to their outdoor mud bath, so that the pigs are free to roll around and get dirty whenever. As a final point, I think it is essential that we feed our pigs with food that is full of nutrition and maybe ecological farmed. All these things should help the pigs’ lives become better and in turn, we will receive healthier and tastier meat.

There are many benefits to these suggestions: the pigs get to live happy lives, while we get healthy and better pork. In addition, we might get a clear conscious, since it also benefits the earth if we farm ecological and it helps the pigs become happy. Thus, even though the costs for these changes are quite severe, we will win in the end by getting happy pigs and healthy pork.

Assignment 2

A day at the spa deserves to be Christmas Gift of the Year 2010!

In today’s society, we hardly ever have time for ourselves, and always put our jobs, families and friends before ourselves. Also living in a society where everyone has everything he or she needs, makes a day at the spa a perfect Christmas gift. To give away a day of just relaxation and spoiling will be well remembered and appreciated by the receiver; and because of this, a day at the spa deserves to be the Christmas gift of the year 2010.

We live in a society going on a high gear, which does not allow us to stop and consider our health; this makes us forget about our well-being and ourselves. To give someone a break from life as a Christmas gift must be a great gift, because it forces him or her to calm down and just relax. For once, a stressed out person gets to think of just him or herself and gets to be pampered for a whole day.

Another reason for giving a day at the spa as a gift is that people of today often have everything they need, and if they need something, they will probably go out and buy it themselves. Therefore, a day at the spa would not only be a gift, but also an experience that they will remember a long time; something a sweater or a t-shirt probably would not be.

If someone suffers from severe headaches, rheumatism or simply is burnt out, a day at the spa could help him or her have a day with less pain and aches. This is something that is scientifically proved; by bathing in hot water in calm surroundings, makes the human body relax, while the hot water that flows does its work. Therefore, if someone you know has health problems like these, they would most definitely appreciate and love this gift.

However, this might seem to be an expensive gift to give to someone; it only lasts for a day one might think. Nevertheless, a solution to the money issue could be that several people could go together and buy this gift. This makes it more affordable and the person receiving the gift would remember these people’s gift. In addition, the issue of the gift only lasting a day, I will have to say by own experiences that the memory lasts much longer than a day, and that it therefore is a much more appreciated gift.

So do you friends and family a favor this year, buy them a day at the spa. Instead of buying something unnecessary, this gift will be appreciated and remembered a much longer time. We all need a break from our daily life at times, so why not give this as a gift to someone you love. If it costs too much, let other friends or family members help and give the gift together. A day at the spa will let the person relax and be spoiled for a whole day, and therefore does a day at the spa deserve to be the Christmas gift of the year 2010!