literary analysis

[cranbonite]

For Women in Ancient Societies, we have to read a lot of critical writing along with our primary stuff. That's great for me because it gives me a lot of exposure to the literature of a field that I'm really interested in

Comments

[saturn939]

I love being able to read stuff in another language easily. :) Even Spanish still takes some work for me, though.

-Dej

[dragonladyflame]

:applauds the French thing: That's awesome! I am envious, but still linguistically lazy. foolish me.

As for the analysis thing, I don't think you're selfish or narrowminded. I'm frequently the same way -- that's why a lot of concept-based art that requires interpretation so frequently fails to interest me (hello, postmodernism!). A piece of art, I think, is best of it's more of a feeling than a point or a structure. I measure the success of art by how it makes me respond without thinking. I can analyze it, but it seems like that's missing the point (although I will admit to enjoying social discourses, like I would probably love an article about what Sappho's work demonstrates about women in ancient Greece even though I would hate the article you're reading, about tiny differences between words).

[cranbonite]

Yes...social discourse is fun to me because, well, I'm a historian...and thus (in my view, though not in the view of all academics) a social scientist, so :)

And yes. HI POSTMODERNISM. YOU CAN GO NOW. I just can't get into it, in many forms, though art is notable.

I am happy now though to be reading stuff that has found an interesting medium. We were assigned an article (actually written by the prof, haha) that's about women's status in Athens, and whether they were citizens...and she examines this question by analyzing different terminology used to describe Athenians and citizens and such, in various sources. Now THAT is cool. That is a useful and productive way to pick apart language.