Barry Theories

I agree with what a few people said in class: "Text contains meaning within itself." There are aspects out of just the text that need to be analyzed. James Joyce's "The Dead" wouldn't have the same, deep impacts (albeit perhaps different reactions) from readers if we did not have the socio-political element. There's more to study than just the text. No writer is completely free from their environments or their society. Not even Thoreau.

Now, I have a question.

Professor Chapman talked a lot about text having "the same meaning" when it was written as it does today. Why do they need to have the "same" meaning? Isn't that it has meaning enough? Even in the time period texts were written in, they would have garnered varying meanings from varying readers. But perhaps that's oversimplifying it.

What do you think?

~Emily~

some questions

You're welcome to write about anything you want, of course, but if you're stuck for a topic, here's one we could start with.

In class today we talked about some of Barry's "ten tenets for liberal humanism" (17-20). There's plenty more to be said about those--go for it! Or you might share your thoughts on one of Barry's five "recurring ideas in critical theory" (34-36) if you want to take on the other side.

Wes Chapman