Question 4: Foster talks about the relationship between the reader and the writer suggesting that, “reading is an event of the imagination…a reader’s imagination is the act of one creative intelligence engaging another (the writer’s). How does this occur? What does this suggest about the nature and process of reading and writing?
The relationship between the reader and writer that Foster points out is very prominent. He explains that the two minds work as one, working to be in sync and connect on all different levels. The reader and writer are connected by many aspects of the piece, but the main one is symbols. If the reader can understand the symbolic meanings throughout the writers piece the writer has established a connection with said reader. When an author writes they think about the ways their words can be interpreted and thought about which further connects the reader and writer making them work on the same page. When a reader has that "ahah!" moment they have connected further with the reader because they understand what that portion of the text means or what they believe it means, for example the light bulb moment when a student finally gets a topic they have been struggling to fully comprehend. Foster explains that the imagination is shared through these two people and this is important for their connection through the piece. When you read or write there is always the present goal of connecting with the person of the other side. Everyone has it, but like Foster points out, only skilled readers and writers can ever accomplish this goal. To truly read like a professor one must be able to feel the emotion the writer intends for them to feel or imagine what the writer is portraying. For one to read like a professor they must dive deeper and deeper into the piece for more connections the author leaves them.
On page 93, Foster talks about“lateral thinking” and I think this suggests a lot about the process of writing. A writer has to focus on his target as well as bringing in literary elements that relate to it to achieve “lateral thinking”. Foster states that he used to believe this was something only masters of literature could conquer, but now he is beginning to notice writers drawing in the parallels while still hitting their intended target, even in his creative writing courses. Foster writes, “It’s something that starts happening when a reader/writer and a sheet of paper get locked in a room together” (93). He explains that this is what makes reading more interesting. I agree with this idea, it makes the message the author is trying to send more interesting as well as understandable. In this post you talk about symbolic meaning being a means of connection and communication between readers and writers and I think that ties in with lateral thinking because to understand the target you have to understand the symbols and underlying meanings. Lateral thinking is what writers do when they create symbols, and as readers we have to decode the lateral thinking to find the intended message.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with that completely, thank you for adding that because I did not realize I could tie that in as well, but that is a great point. This book is really deep and it's hard to catch it all, but there it is packed with many connecting ideas! Page 93 is where I got most of my ideas for this post, but I definitely did not think to add the lateral thinking into it. I do find it interesting that Foster is talking in depth about the connection between reader and writer and focusing on how that affects both sides.
ReplyDeleteThe quote stating that “...a reader’s imagination is the act of
ReplyDeleteone creative intelligence engaging another,” is found within chapter 12 in which I made a comparison of this quote to intensify the importance of symbolic imagination (Foster 114). I agree with everything you wrote. The writer constructs the symbol, and the reader develops different assertions that should comply to the author’s purpose. In that, the author and the reader develop a relationship in which allows the story to elaborate into a bigger spectrum creatively. To establish a connection within the piece that allows the reader to think and feel alike of the author, it emboldens the story to inherit such a rich meaning and collectively makes the reading process much more genuine. I believe the writer should strive to establish a personal connection with the readers that allows them to critically think about the purpose of the novel. Whether it's through symbolic imagination, allegory, or descriptive detail, connecting with the audience generates a creative experience within the reading process.
I like how your analysis of this question included the concept of having an aha moment while reading (or even after finishing) a novel because I know that as an avid reader myself, I have had my fair share of aha moments. I feel like a good book should have at least one aha moment because it’s always interesting to learn how an author envisioned a symbol’s meaning and seeing if it is similar to or differs from how you interpreted it, which also ties in to your inclusion of symbols being one of the most important connections a reader can share with a writer.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of your post is your mention of the “aha!” moment readers can have when they finally uncover an author’s hidden meaning or symbol. Up to this point in my life, this moment has mostly been guided by another reader or teacher, giving me clues to better understand a text on the way to “reading between the lines.” However, on the rare occasions when I have made connections or discovered symbols and allusions on my own, I have felt great pride in that “aha!” moment. The ability to truly “read like a professor” and dissect a text as it was meant to be read and analyzed is no easy skill to master, but I believe in this class, we are all going to have plenty more of those proud “aha!” moments to reflect on.
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