|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
banjois
Joined: 14 Nov 2009
|
 Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2010 4:59 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
Yeah, I think it's a slippery slope to Cultural Studies (barf) when you start considering all texts as literature. I mean sure, they're worthy of analyses, given a culture that has enough spare time for that kinda thing. But it's not a literary analysis, it's more of a sociological analyses.
Narrative does not equal literature. Book-like is close, but it ain't book.
All of this is happening because North American scholars took some French academic thought-games WAY too seriously.
Now, you'll excuse me, I have to shuffle off and get some more coal from the hod. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2010 5:41 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| peppermint wrote: |
| Fox wrote: |
| banjois wrote: |
| I think it necessitates a total revision of the definition of literature. I know I'm working in sort of an old-school, academic framework here, but literature is defined primarily by its medium. I don't deny that there's all sorts of interesting work being done in interactive media. But I'd hold to something loosely stated as "Literature is books." Video games aren't literature the same way films aren't literature. |
None the less, I think we'd agree that if one were to read a 100 page book online, with no physical book present, we'd consider that literature. Likewise, even if we added some pictures to that "online book" we would still consider it literature.
|
By that definition, then all text= literature? Moby Dick in electronic form from Project Gutenberg is literature, the same way the book form that's sitting on my desk now is, but by Fox's definition, it seems as though the posts on this message board might be viewed as literature. Some are at least as good as the Choose Your Own Adventure books that Fox cites, after all. |
Well, I think there's more to it than that, but I also do think that some of what occurs on this forum could be considered literature. The point I was making, rather, is that literature should be considered in terms of written content rather than simply in terms of books. Stories in written format are literature; the fact that they're presented on an internet forum -- or along side an interactive game -- shouldn't change that. Likewise, even if you took a decidedly non-literary exchange on this forum and put it in a book, I don't think it would become literature. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mr. Pink
Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: China
|
| Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2010 9:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| banjois wrote: |
I think I can let Maus slip by my hoary old standards.
Although I would maybe give it a tiny little asterisk.
I said HOARY. |
My standards were quite hoary too before I went back to uni the past couple years. I too hold a BA in lit and so have in mind an ingrained image of what literature is.
However, I have recently realized certain graphic texts can indeed be literature. Maus is one of those that fits the bill.
I would like to think video games will not be welcomed into the sphere of literature. If that happens, I guess I'll know it will be time to hang up my reading hat. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
