Sound & Sense Chapter 8.pdf

Sound & Sense Chapter 8 Idea or Theme: The Meaning and the Message in Fiction The word idea refers to the result or results of general and abstract thinking. Synonymous words are concept, thought, opinion, and principle. In literary study the consideration of ideas relates to meaning, interpretatio...

Sound & Sense Chapter 8 Idea or Theme: The Meaning and the Message in Fiction The word idea refers to the result or results of general and abstract thinking. Synonymous words are concept, thought, opinion, and principle. In literary study the consideration of ideas relates to meaning, interpretation, explanation, and significance. Although ideas are usually extensive and complex, separate ideas may be named by single words, such as right, good, love, piety, causation, wilderness, and, not surprising, idea itself. IDEAS AND ASSERTIONS Although single words alone may name ideas, we must put these words into operation in sentences or assertions before they can advance our understanding. Good operational sentences about ideas are not the same as ordinary conversational statements such as “It’s a nice day.” An observation of this sort may be true (depending on the weather), but it gives us no ideas and does not stimulate our minds. Rather, a sentence asserting an idea should initiate a thought or argument about the day’s quality, such as “A nice day requires light breezes, blue sky, a warm sun, and relaxation.” Because the sentence makes an assertion about the word “nice,” it allows us to consider and develop the idea of a nice day. In studying literature, always express ideas as assertions. Most stories contain many ideas. When one of the ideas seems to be the major one, it is called the theme. In practice, the words theme and major idea are the same. IDEAS AND VALUES Literature embodies values along with ideas. Value, of course, commonly refers to the price of something, but in the realm of ideas and principles, it is a standard of what is desired, sought, esteemed, and treasured. For example, democracy refers to our political system, but it is also a complex idea of representative government that we esteem most highly, and so also do we esteem concepts like honor, cooperation, generosity, and love. A vital idea/value is justice, which, put most simply, involves equality before the law and also the fair evaluation of conduct that is deemed unacceptable or illegal. A graphic connection of ideas and values may be seen in Picasso's massive painting Guernica. The painting superbly illustrates the agony of Guernica, the Spanish town bombed by Nazi planes in 1937. The agonized horse in the screaming man, the disembodied head and arms, the mother holding her dead infant -- all conveyed the idea that war is an unspeakable crime against humanity. Picasso's condemnation of War and the man responsible for the slaughter of Guernica, Francisco Franco, is also clear. That Picasso wanted his values to be understood is confirmed by his instruction that the painting was not to be displayed in Spain until after Franco died. THE PLACE OF IDEAS IN LITERATURE Because writers of poems, plays, and stories are usually not systematic philosophers, it is not appropriate to go “message hunting” as though their works contained nothing but ideas. Indeed, there is great benefit and pleasure to be derived from just savoring a work -- following the patterns of narrative and conflict, getting to like the characters, understanding the work’s implications and suggestions, and listening to the sounds of the author’s words -- to name only a few of the reasons for which literature is treasured. Nevertheless, ideas are vital to understanding and appreciating literature: Writers have ideas and want to communicate them. Distinguish between Ideas and Actions → As you analyze works for ideas, it is important to avoid the trap of confusing ideas and actions. A study based on these connecting formulations could be focused on ideas and would not be sidetracked into doing no more than retelling a story. Distinguish between Ideas and Situations → You should also distinguish between ideas and situations. If you are able to distinguish a story’s various situations from the writer’s major idea or ideas, you will be able to focus on ideas and therefore sharpen your own thinking. HOW TO FIND IDEAS Ideas are not as obvious as characters or setting. To determine an idea, you need to consider the meaning of what you read and then to develop explanatory and comprehensive assertions. Your assertions need not be the same as those that others might make. People notice different things, and individual formulations vary. In discovering ideas, you should follow a similar process -- making a number of formulations for an idea and then selecting one for further development. As you read, be alert to the different ways in which authors convey ideas. One author might prefer an indirect way through a character's speeches, whereas another may prefer direct statement. In practice, authors may employ any or all the following methods. 1. STUDY THE AUTHORIAL VOICE a. Although authors mainly render action, dialogue, and situation, they sometimes state ideas to guide us and deepen our understanding. 2. STUDY THE FIRST-PERSON SPEAKER a. First-person narrators or speakers frequently express ideas along with their depiction of actions and situations, and they also make statements from which you can make inferences about  ideas. Because what they say is part of a dramatic presentation, they may be right or wrong, well considered or thoughtless, good or bad, or brilliant or half-baked, depending on the speaker. 3. STUDY THE STATEMENTS MADE BY CHARACTERS a. In many stories, characters express their own views, which may be right or wrong, admirable or contemptible. When you consider such dramatic speeches, you must do considerable interpreting and evaluating yourself. 4. STUDY THE WORK’S FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE a. Figurative language is one of the major components of poetry, but it also abounds in prose fiction. 5. STUDY HOW CHARACTERS MAY STAND FOR IDEAS a. Characters and their actions may often be equated with certain ideas and values. 6. STUDY THE WORK ITSELF AS AN EMBODIMENT OF IDEAS a. One of the most important ways in which authors express ideas is to interlock them within all parts and aspects of the work. The art of painting is instructive here, for a painting can be taken in with a single view that comprehends all the aspects of color, form, action, and expression, which can also be considered separately. Thus, the broken and distorted figures in Picasso’s Guernica, which can be viewed together, all emphasize the idea that war creates unspeakable horror and suffering for both human beings and animals. In the same way, when a work is considered in its totality, the various parts collectively may embody major ideas. Even “escape literature,” which ostensibly enables readers to forget immediate problems, contains conflicts between good and evil, love and hate, good spies and bad, earthlings and aliens, and so on. Thereby, such works do embody ideas, even though their avowed intention is not to make readers think but rather to help them forget.