I have a confession to make. Sometimes I roll my eyes when I learn that we have to read from Spufford - not that I don't like what he has to say...it's just that sometimes takes his time in saying it.
This week, however, I did not feel that particular strain when I dove into his chapter about the town. I suddenly found myself connecting more with what he had to say - and not just because he talked about readers engaging themselves with the character in novels.
I thought he explored the idea of connecting with a character and actually thinking in his or her skin (as opposed to just imagining the character as oneself); I've always known that I have the ability to empathize with characters in novels, but I've never really heard someone go in depth with the feeling and break down what it means to identify.
What really held my attention was the thought of a young Spufford trying to piece together another world - the United States - in order to understand some of the literature he was taking in as a child. Today the world is so small - people can know a little about each country and if they don't, they can Google it. Spufford had to try to reshape his own experience in his portion of the world to fit any new ideas he encountered while reading. I felt a particular pang of saddness whenever he discussed losing the reality of what he imagine in his head after seeing the film version of To Kill A Mockingbird and realizing he had been "wrong" about what Maycomb looked like.
I suppose this week I will be more conscious of how I read and how I identify with characters as I absorb them into my own version of life. I think that is why so many of the sources for my group's annotated bibiliography said it was important that children read from a variety of perspectives in order to get a better scope of the world.
Purpose for Imaginative Literature
15 years ago
I completely agree with you on Spufford. There are times where I feel as though he could condense most of his ramblings into one succinct paragraph. However I find it extremely interesting how you are planning to be more conscious of your reading, but from the aspect of relating to the character. I have never learned how to "enter the skin" of another character. I find it much easier to watch from afar and make subtle predictions about their behavior. I also found it difficult to see how in depth Spufford relates to the character, especially as it is in direct relation to how distant I keep myself.
ReplyDeleteSpufford definitely is hard to read at times, but I think his overall purpose is great. The chapter we just read went along perfectly with Dicey's Song. I felt that I was able to get in Dicey's skin in this novel, which is something I haven't really been able to do with other characters we have read this semester. It is at times hard for me to do this with characters, but I was able to with Dicey. Spufford's chapter about the town correlated with this perfectly. It's interesting how you are going to be more conscious about how you read. I have never thought of it that way, but maybe I will try that as well!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this chapter on Spufford too! I thought this was one of the easier chapters to read. I like how you brought up his experience with being in London and trying to imagine the Little House world in America. It makes me wonder if we are better off being able to just google about some place unfamiliar to us, or if it was better to be like Spufford where you spend a lot of energy imagining this world that the author created.
ReplyDeleteI agree that children need to read a variety of books. They need to understand what it is like to be a child of a different ethnicity, class, and culture. This will help a child understand that there are different perspectives in the world and that there is a need to be accepting of those people who have different opinions. When Callie talked about Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry in class it was an example of a student connecting with a culture that was completely different from her own. She now has the ability to empathized and understand that everyone is not the same as she is. This is a lesson that we try to teach children all through elementary school.
ReplyDeleteI also agree about spufford. I find the books long and without a final message. I also see the meaning about the importance of reading many different types of children's literature. By experiencing so many different people they learn many different expereinces.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! agree.. children should be exposed to all different kinds of literature. Reading different kinds of literature helps them learn more about themselves and society in general. I think they can also learn how to better understand and empathize with others.
ReplyDeleteI thought that it was interesting that Spufford chose to mention Little House as a way to interface with America. I engaged in that story when I was in elementary school and looking back, it seemed like a very exotic type of life. After reading Spufford, I reconsidered my views on that story as a piece of American culture. In relation to the larger discussion going on here: I do believe that the broader the exposure (for any aged person), the more complete any picture of a particular topic will be. For young students, establishing this standard early on will help them as they continue to learn and grow.
ReplyDeleteYou're right - he did break down (or give us a different understanding) or what it means to "identify" with a character. It definitely gives a different perspective when you are IN someone's skin compared to observing them.
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