Writing Analytically, 6th Edition - Rosenwasser, David & Stephen, Jill [90]
Self-deprecation is a complex conversational tool. On the surface, it seems to be simply a way for the speaker to disparage himself. It also, however, can function as a tool for humility and compromise, a way to create conversational symmetry from a situation of asymmetry. The most subtle and fascinating way in which self-deprecation functions, however, is a bit of a paradox: by putting himself down, a man can actually build himself up. This is revealing of the extent to which conversation operates in ways that can be very deceptive. People, whether rich and famous or otherwise, can use conversation not just as a way to transmit information, but as a means to an end. Although this study involved individuals whose job it is to use words to play a character or keep a reputation in check, one need not be an Oscar-winning actor to reap the benefits of being a smart conversationalist. Conversation is not merely a straightforward exchange of words; it is a skill, that when used strategically and with great awareness, can help a speaker to get ahead—often without anyone else realizing that he is doing it.
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING ABOUT READING
Get beyond reading for the gist. Always mark a few key passages in whatever you read.
Whenever you read critically, actively look for the pitch and the complaint— what the writer wants to convince you of, and the position that he or she is reacting against. Also be aware of the moment—how the historical context qualifies the way we interpret the reading.
Experiment with passage-based focused freewriting. Find out what you think by seeing what you say.
Alternatively, keep a commonplace book. The act of copying out key sentences from a reading and perhaps jotting a few notes will inevitably lead you to remember more and discover more about what you are reading.
Paraphrase key passages to open up the language and reveal complexities you may not have noticed. Paraphrasing three times is sure to help get you started interpreting a reading, moving you beyond just repeating pieces of it as answers.
In applying a reading as a lens, think about how lens A both fits and does not fit subject B: use the differences to develop your analysis.
Uncover unstated assumptions by asking, “Given its overt claim, what must this reading also already believe?”
A provocative way to open up interpretation is to try reading against the grain of a reading. Ask, “what does this piece believe that it does not know it believes?” Using The Method to uncover obsessive repetitions will sometimes provide the evidence to formulate against-the-grain claims.
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Assignments: Writing Analytically About Reading
Apply a Reading as a Lens. Use a reading as a lens for examining a subject. For example, look at a piece of music or a film through the lens of a review that does not discuss the particular piece or film you are writing about. Or you might read about a particular theory of humor and use that as a lens for examining a comic play, film, story, television show, or stand-up routine.
Analyze a Challenging Paragraph and Apply It as a Lens. In a recent book on representations of the public and the private in contemporary American life, law professor Jeffrey Rosen offers the following discussion of political scientist Daniel Boorstin’s analysis of heroes and celebrities:
In The Image, Daniel Boorstin explored the way the growth of movies, radio, print, and television had transformed the nature of political authority, which came to be exercised not by distant and remote heroes but instead by celebrities, whom Boorstin defined as ‘a person who is known for his wellknownness.’ ‘Neither good nor bad,’ a celebrity is ‘morally neutral,’ ‘the human pseudo-event,’ who has been ‘fabricated on purpose to satisfy our exaggerated expectations