In class we discussed the idea of whether or not it is correct to write from a another's cultures perspective. I think if it was decided that writers were restricted to write only in their culture then literature would be very limited. Writers write from the perspective of someone rich, even if they are poor. They write from the perspective of kings and warriors, when they have not even seen either of these. Writing is about imagination and exploring different ways of living. But writers should be careful in how they are representing another culture. Negative stereotypes should not be further reinforced through their literature. Writers should research customs of the culture they are writing on in order to be authentic. This should be done with any type of piece if it is not a autobiography. In addition, if writers are not re creating folk tales or religious stories they need to be especially careful. These types of writing represent the culture and are a part of it. Writers should carefully chose in the way they re tell the stories. It would also be helpful to have an explanation on the back of the book the origins of the stories. In the end, we have the right to write freely and what we choose to write about. Just like any aspect of literature there is controversy, and there are stories that could be offensive. But making it that writers can only write about their own culture would affect the variety of literature created. Sometimes people think too much about discrimination and being offensive. When everyone is so worried about being politically correct, many interesting ideas are not written or spoken.
Posts
8 comments:
I completely agree with what you’re saying. I too believe that writing is about using ones imagination on paper and transferring ideas from one person to another by doing so. Like you said, literature would be somewhat dull and narrow minded if we were only able to write about our own culture. It would be hard to see a double side to a story or another way of life if we were only able to write about the familiar. This being said I do agree with you that as writers writing about a different culture than our own we do need to pay extra attention to being careful of what we write about. It is somewhat easy for a persons view to be construed into something negative if the culture you are writing about doesn’t agree. Like you said an explanation of why the story was written, and why it was written the way it was is an easy way of dodging negative reviews. But I also believe that as writers and readers we need to be extra open minded people, making sure not to over analyze another’s piece of literature.
I also strongly agree. I believe that if a writer does his or her reasearch and writes an authentic story that is acurate and captivates their audience, then they have every right to do so. I find it interesting when authors that serve as 'mirrors' into a culture different than their own can create a character that is so unbelievably acurate to that specific culture. I feel that if an author can tell a story through the eyes of a completely different way of life, then that shows their true talent as a writer and, as long as they respect the other culture, should be praised for it.
I don't quite know how I feel about this particular subject still. On one hand, I think it is great that people are allowed to use their imagination to create worlds that are out of the ordinary, or of times long ago, that have no particular tie to their culture. I agree that if we did indeed have to just write about what we know personally, it would be boring. Not only would the literature be boring, but it would be very biased as well. A poor person could only write about the hardships of being poor and the rich could only write about their prosperity. We would not be able to stretch our writing to test the limits of what we could write. On the other hand, I do feel that some authors write books that are very biased and show stereotypes that are negative for some cultures. I am hoping that with the giant leaps that our culture is making, that eventually there will not be stereotypes as they are today and that people will only see people instead of "cultures."
I agree and feel that people should be able to write about what they want, regardless of if it about their own culture/background or that of another. However, I too feel that authors need to be VERY careful. Writing about a different culture brings opportunities to sound racist or prejudice against another group. The slightest thing could be interpreted the wrong way, leading to an endless battle of what was truly meant. It is sad that people have to be so careful with what they write, I wish everyone was able to express their thoughts and imagination without worrying of the negative impact it may have on those who take it the wrong way, unless they are doing it on purpose of course.
Considering the title of the blog alone makes for interesting conversation. I also agree when you say that writing is for the imagination. I believe that it's the greatest outlet for people to use their imaginations and get their colorful thoughts across to others, however, I can't help but consider the fact that writing about a culture from which you don't belong could be misleading. Children's minds are like sponges, and they are taking in most everything that is handed to them intellectually, so my only hesitation stands with the fact that they shouldn't ever be mislead. I don't believe that a writer would ever purposely mislead a child to believe something false about a certain culture, however, children are easily influenced, so their thoughts could be driven in the same direction of the writer. Although I fully believe that people should be free to write with their imagination and free spirit, even if it includes exploring other cultures, I would just hope that a child's perception isn't harmed.
I think that writing with imagination and creativity is very important, so I agree with everyone on that. I also agree that people have the right to write what they want. I realize that in a perfect world writing would be as free from bias as possible. But, I also realize that this perfect world does not exist. I think that everything needs to be read critically. This class is helping me to pay more attention to what I am reading, who it is written by, and who it is written for. I think that when it comes to writing literature about a culture the best position is to write as an insider. However, I do think that an informed outsider can write a quality piece of literature about a culture. I think that an outsider writing about a culture could potentially lead to stereotyping and generalizations. I think the main question to ask about a piece of cultural literature written by an "outsider" is what the people on the indside think of the literature. I feel that would be the best way to measure if the person was fair in their writing and reflection.
I agree that authors should be able to write in different cultural perspectives. I think as long as they do it with caution to make sure that aren't telling a story for a 'sterotypical' point of view then it is something that can be completley fine. Being a good writer means getting caught up in your story and forgetting about yourself to be trying in the characters of the story and I feel as though good writers are able to do that with different cultures as well.
I completely agree that as long as the appropriate research is done, a writer should have the freedom to explore new boundaries and think outside of the box. This topic has a strong connection to the article, “Why Literature Matters,” where the author, Donald Smith, makes a list of the reasons literature is so vital to a person’s wellbeing. In particular, Smith mentions his number four list item as the “the cultural heritage angle,” stating that books are the lasting record of this past and that they allow us to see farther by standing on the shoulders that have come before us. Books have the power to connect us to our offspring, and it is important for readers AND authors of all cultures and religions to have the opportunity to be exposed to different cultural perspectives.
On the other hand, even though I feel strongly toward authors having the ability to write about what they please, I also agree with Julianne DeWildt’s comment that writing about a culture from which you don’t belong could be misleading. Children are very easily influenced and put a lot of faith into the stories they hear and the books that they read. However, above everything else, I think it is very important for children to have opportunities to explore different cultural perspectives through literature; and one can only hope that the author’s are respectful enough to fully research and accurately portray what they choose to write about.
Post a Comment