How Can We Approach a Text: Academically or Personally?

"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body."

Richard Steele (1672 - 1729)

Irish-born English essayist, playwright, and politician.

The Tatler (London)

When it comes to reading literature, there are two distinct ways in which you can approach a text: academically and personally. While these two approaches may seem similar at first glance, they are actually quite different. 

Personally, when we read a text for pleasure, we are more likely to engage with the characters and become invested in their stories. We can empathize with their struggles, rejoice in their triumphs, and mourn their losses. For example, in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, we felt a personal connection to Elizabeth Bennet and admired her strength of character and wit. Her journey through the novel was an emotional one, and we found  ourselves rooting for her every step of the way.

On the other hand, when we read a text academically, we often feel disconnected from the story and the characters. Instead of being invested in their journey, we are more concerned with analyzing the text and finding evidence to support my arguments. It is a close reading. While this approach can be intellectually stimulating, it can also be dry and unemotional. For example, when we read William Shakespeare's Macbeth in a college literature course, we were more focused on dissecting the themes and motifs than on enjoying the story itself.

In a personal reading of Romeo and Juliet, we might focus on our own response to the play's characters and their relationships. We might think about how the play makes us feel about love, loss, and death. We might also use the play to explore our own experiences of love and loss. While in an academic reading of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, we might focus on the play's structure, its language, and its themes. We might consider how the play uses dramatic irony to create suspense and how the language of the play reflects the characters' emotions. We might also consider the play's historical context and how it reflects the social and political issues of the time.

Despite the potential drawbacks of an academic reading, some literary critics argue that it is the only way to truly understand a text. These critics contend that a personal reading is too subjective and can lead to misinterpretation. They argue that an academic reading provides a more objective analysis of the text and helps to uncover its deeper meaning.

However, we believe that a personal reading can be just as insightful as an academic reading, if not more so. While a personal reading may be subjective, it is also deeply personal and can reveal insights about the reader's own life and experiences. For example, when we read J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye as a teenager, we were struck by how much we related to the protagonist, Holden Caulfield. His struggles with identity, alienation, and disillusionment resonated with my own experiences, and reading the novel helped me to process those feelings in a meaningful way.

So, technically speaking, when we read a text, we can do so in two different ways: academically or personally. Academic reading is a more objective and critical way of reading, while personal reading is a more subjective and emotional way of reading. There are many benefits to both academic and personal reading. Academic reading can help us to develop our critical thinking skills and to learn about different cultures and perspectives. Personal reading can help us to connect with our own emotions and to grow as individuals.

However, there are also some challenges associated with each type of reading. Academic reading can be dry and difficult, and it can be hard to stay engaged with the text. Personal reading can be too subjective and emotional, and it can be hard to see the text objectively.

The best way to read a text is to combine academic and personal reading. This allows us to get the best of both worlds. We can gain a deep understanding of the text, both its objective meaning and its subjective impact. We can also use the text to learn about ourselves and the world around us.

Stanley Fish argues that all reading is interpretive and that there is no such thing as objective reading. He believes that the reader brings their own experiences and biases to the text, which inevitably shapes their interpretation. Wolfgang Iser argues that the reader plays an active role in the construction of meaning in a text. He believes that the text provides a set of cues for the reader, and it is up to the reader to fill in the gaps and create their own interpretation. Mikhail Bakhtin argues that the text is a dialogic space where the reader and the author interact. He believes that the reader brings their own voice to the text, and that this interaction creates a new meaning for the text.

In conclusion, while there are certain benefits to both academic and personal readings of a text, we believe that a personal reading is ultimately more enjoyable and rewarding. By engaging with the characters on a personal level, we can gain valuable insights into our own lives and experiences. While literary criticism can provide a useful framework for analyzing a text, it should not be the only way in which we approach literature. As students of literature, we should strive to balance academic rigor with personal engagement in order to fully appreciate the power and beauty of great literature.

Ardhendu De

References

The Bakhtin reader : selected writings of Bakhtin, Medvedev, and Voloshinov : Bakhtin, M. M. (Mikhail Mikhaĭlovich), 1895-1975 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/bakhtinreadersel0000bakh

The range of interpretation : Wolfgang Iser : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/rangeofinterpret00iser

Winning arguments : what works and doesn’t work in politics, the bedroom, the courtroom, and the classroom : Fish, Stanley Eugene, author : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/winningarguments0000fish