RR - Bartholomae

Bartholomae challenges the way in which we view reading. He believes that “one of the difficult things about reading is that the pages before you will begin to speak only when the authors are silent and you begin to speak in their place.” What does this mean? What message is Bartholomae sending?

• Does this relate at all to what is further implied as reading being a conversation: the author talking ‘with’ you rather than ‘at’ you?

“Each of us will come to his or her own sense of what is significant, of what the point is, and the odds are good that what each of us makes of the [writing] will vary from one to another.” It may seem obvious that when discussing a piece of literature in an English class not everyone interprets the piece quite the same, though I never thought to think about how the same piece impacts each person so differently. This seems like an important thing to keep in mind when reading a piece to be used in a research paper.

• Despite the different ideas each individual chooses to focus on, the original piece provides a ‘frame’ in which everything fits. That is to say that we are given a basis for discussion amongst one another. 

Strong Reading: the combination of reading, thinking, and writing

“Text provides the opportunity for you to see through someone else’s powerful language, to imagine your own familiar settings through the images, metaphors, and ideas of others.” Though there may be some truth to this statement, is it fair to assume all written text provides us with this opportunity? Haven’t you ever read something and found yourself struggling to make any personal connections with the piece?

“A danger arises in assuming that reading is only a search for information or main ideas.”  What ‘danger’ is spoken of here? Is Bartholomae hinting at ideas of critical thinking? Is there ever a time when one reads something strictly for purposes other than searching for information or main ideas?

“Read as though it made sense and perhaps it will.” – I.A. Richards