Reading Journal Questions for Falling into Theory, 182 – 210
Read the first paragraph and then stop before proceeding to the second paragraph. What two novellas is she
referring to? In a similar vein, Sedgwick asks ala Saul Bellow “Is there are Tolstoi of the Zulus” 185 and
then on the next page, “has there ever been a gay Socrates?” These are two instances of the ways in which
the essay might be said to play the crying game with is, or, to be hiding it’s candy, for those of you who
read southern literature. Talk about the structure of this essay.
How does she configure the relationship between the mini canons and the master canon? 184 – 185
To what extent do you think that sexuality (yours, the writer’s ,the culture’s) is integral to literary study?
What, ultimately, is Sedgwick’s point with this piece?
The Edward Said piece strikes me as little more than self-promotion, and dull at that. We can discuss it in
class if you would like, no doubt I’ve missed something important, but unless anyone has anything to bring
up, I suggest we move on.
Do you belong to the Book of the Month Club and if so what enticed you to join? I only ask because I share
Radway’s experience in that I joined the club to get the OED, for the same reason, many of my profs at
UBC had one on their shelves.
Do you have the kind of affinity for books that Radway describes, as physical objects which compel the
senses and as tokens of cultural achievement—when someone comes into your home, are your books
prominently and abundantly displayed? Do you see their place in your life as a statement about who you
take yourself to be and who you would have the world take you for? If someone found you reading a
romance novel, or a true crime book, would you feel ashamed?
Radway says on 201 that “The books that came to me as high culture never seemed to prompt the particular
shudder, the frisson I associated with the books of my childhood. . .” How do you relate to this?
When you think of “middle brow culture” what do you think of? List examples, as many as you can think
of. What is your attitude to this culture? What is the relationship between it and what you are learning of
culture at school now?
What’s your impression of the Book-of-the-Month Club editors who Radway describes ? 206
Reading Journal Questions for Falling into Theory, 211 - 224
Have a look at the last paragraph on 211. Is this what you think English is, “basically”?
“Ordinarily, people select works of literature to read . . . in order to have a private experience of the sheer
pleasure of being engrossed in another world” 212 We’ve talked about this in terms of passive reading. ( I
just wanted to point that out in case you missed it)
Referring to the paragraph on 121 that begins “school changes that,” what is Purves’ program of English
instruction, in outline form and how does that relate to your own experience?
“Unlike scientific reading and discussion, the reading and discussion of literature are not exact; rather than
provide correct answers, the provide tried and proven procedures that serve people who are going to deal
with other kinds of information” Do you think this is true? Explain.
Purves says literature needs to consider itself as dealing with more than just print. Do you agree? Why?
How do you think other departments (like film say) might feel about this?
Guillory argues that people confuse national culture with school culture. What’s he getting at and do you
agree?
He also differentiates between civilization and culture. Why is he doing this? How does it further his
argument.
On 220 Guillory argues that the introduction of multiculturalism into the canon wars perpetuates the
confusion “of culture as the study of preserved artifacts with the sense of culture as common beliefs,
behaviors, attitudes” What does he mean by this and why is it, from his perspective, a bad thing?
Summarize the “conclusion” drawn in the middle paragraph of 221.
Reading Journal Questions for Falling into Theory, 224 - 235
Bloom: “There has never been an official American Literary canon, and there never can be, for the
aesthetic in America always exists as a lonely, idiosyncratic, isolated stance.” 226 Discuss.
“Real reading is a lonely activity and does not teach anyone to become a better citizen.” 226 Do you agree?
“The strongest poetry is cognitively and imaginatively too difficult to be read deeply by more than a
relative few. . .” 227. What happens to English if this is true? And do you think it is true?
What is your general impression of Balloon’s position?