In the April 24 Chronicle of Higher Education, Mark Edmundson calls on English professors to "befriend the texts that we choose to teach," pointing out that texts are "the testaments of human beings who have lived and suffered in the world. They too deserve honor and respect." While I find this idea appealing, I'm a bit befuddled by the sort of teaching he finds objectionable.
The article is called "Against Readings," and in it Edmundson objects to literature professors who, instead of befriending and honoring texts, instead stand before a class and subject texts to readings informed by particular theoretical schools. Edmunson constructs an image of the literature professor who stands in front of a class and performs, say, a Marxist reading of Blake or a deconstructionist reading of Eliot. What he wants, says Edmundson, is "A Blakean reading of Blake, or an Eliotic reading of Eliot."
Great, but who is this straw man against whom Edmunson rails? Do lit profs really stand before classes performing theoretical analyses of texts as students silently watch? What would be the point of that kind of teaching? If my goal is to equip my students to develop their own literary analysis skills, how will my solo performance help them?
Maybe I've missed the boat here, but I don't know many profs, if any, who teach like Edmunson's straw man. Am I just out of touch or is his description more accurate elsewhere?
2 comments:
Would that also presume that there's a specific Blakean reading of Blake that someone could do?
Who among us has the wit to really do a Chaucerian reading of Chaucer justice without some serious channeling?
And should we not read critically, and talk about the ways our culture uses and understands texts and the world? Seriously, would he suggest I read the parts of the Bible about raping women without some cultural contexts and critique?
HEE! My capcha is dreemli, that's either dr. eemli to me, or dreemli... if you know what I mean?
I printed the essay yesterday, but haven't had a chance to read it: when I do, I'll be sure to do an Edmundsonian reading only.
But to respond to your question: as I type I hear the Shakespearean prof across the hall do a solo new historical analysis of a play--and as interesting as it is (the class just twittered appreciatively) I do hope they get to try out their critical analysis skills before the end of term).
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