Table of Contents
Literary Analysis
In closing
References
Original: The author
Paraphrased: The author/writer
Literary Analysis
Literature is a source of fascinating ideas. Readers are captivated by its exciting stories, nail-biting plots and captivating storylines. Audiences are drawn to writers because of their wide range of topics, ideas, and viewpoints. Literature continues to be a trusted source of information and entertainment even if its creditability isn’t always guaranteed. Can writers be expected to be completely honest, if that is not what they must do?
The information provided by authors is not accurate. This applies to both autobiographies that deal with race issues such as Ta-Nehisi coates’ Between the World and Me and plays like Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. The audience should not trust authors because literary works are prone to provoking emotions, presenting biased viewpoints, and expressing personal opinions that contradict the message.
Authors use a variety of writing techniques and tools to elicit a response from readers. It may be due to an emotional response that the reader feels, which is a result of the author’s ability to create mood. The writer may have made statements that are meant to offend their readers. Literature is used to evoke a reaction from its intended audience.
In Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Coates says, “But when I looked out at the ruins in America, my heart grew cold.” When talking about 911, Coates writes “I’ve had my share of disasters”. By writing in a similarly apathetic tone about a topic that is sensitive, he appears insensitive. It is impossible to prove whether he was genuinely heartless or if he only made the statement to highlight his point about the topic he chose to raise.
Coates continues in this passage to describe how African Americans were treated horribly in the places where terrorists attacks took place. He said, “I hadn’t formed any of these into a coherent hypothesis. I knew that Bin Laden wasn’t the first person to terrorize that part of the city. That was something I will never forget. The message is undoubtedly a shock to his intended audience. They may be offended by Coates’ indifference towards the tragedy or become influenced. Coates’ audience can never be sure if Coates feels cold about the tragedy or is just saying it to get attention.
In addition, they have a bias in their writing. They write with information that they prefer to see, and only focus on the bias they favor. Ta Nehisi Coates describes, for example, how his son was pushed by a woman in the elevator and that she told him to hurry. The underlying negative attitude towards racism in America, which is reflected throughout the piece, clouded his perspective.
His predisposition for situational discrimination shifted the focus of his argument to the race of the woman, not the fact that she was rude. His audience believes him because they don’t have multiple perspectives. But, whether his accusations are true or not is still up for debate.
Ta-Nehisi Coates deliberately leaves out information to further his biased viewpoint. In New York he would not have included that it was stressful and busy in the elevator where the incident happened. New Yorkers tend to be seen as rude people who have little respect for others. As such, it’s not safe assume that a New Yorker accusing the narrator of racism is actually guilty. Because biased viewpoints cause the author to preferentially tell events, they are not reliable sources of truth. In light of this statement, the audience should be open-minded when it comes to authors and not blindly trust them.
Thirdly, the author may be delivering a message that is contradictory to his own personal opinion. This factor may be overlooked by the audience if they don’t analyze the writer and their context. William Shakespeare wrote The Merchant of Venice. Character Shylock addresses anti-Semitism and bigotry in his monologue. But evidence and many other factors throughout the play contradict this sympathetic mood.
The Christian characters in the play are portrayed positively, but Shylock is the antagonist. Shakespeare shows sympathy and victimization for Shylock on Act 3 Scene 1, Page 3. Shylock not only remains the antagonist in the play, but is still stereotyped as an evil, greedy Jew. It is evident in his monologue where he says that Antonio, “hampered me a half-million” and “thwarted all my bargains”. This shows Shylock’s obsession with money and his greed.
Shakespeare also contradicts his own works by justifying Shylock’s forced conversion to Christianity. Shakespeare never treats Christian characters as oppressed in the same way that Shylock was.
Shakespeare re-uses the Shylock stereotype by continuing it when the antagonistic character demanded a pound or flesh. In Elizabethan times, Jews were stereotyped to be cannibals. Shakespeare’s anti-Semitic views are reflected in this statement. William Shakespeare was born in Britain, a country that is known for its hatred of Jews. Therefore, it’s hard to believe the monologue of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice conveys a message of equality of Jewish people in Christian societies.
Conclusion The audience should not blindly believe what they read. Authors’ literature can cause reactions, have biased viewpoints, and contradict itself depending on the time and place it was written. The audience can be influenced by the authors’ point of view without understanding if they are being honest. If readers are not given the opportunity to consider multiple perspectives, they may be influenced to believe what they have been told.
The context of a literary piece is important to understand. Readers will be less likely to trust the story if they don’t know what it is about. Literature can have elements of truth, but readers are not likely to trust the work if it isn’t based on facts.
Cited Sources
Original: In conclusion
Paraphrased: To sum up
Coates, Ta-Nehisi. Within the realm of life, I exist. First edition. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2015.
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. A play by William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, is about a Venetian merchant who attempts to obtain a loan from a wealthy Jewish moneylender. The loan is secured by the merchant’s friend, who agrees to hand over a pound of his flesh if the debt is not repaid. Harlow, Essex, England: Longman, 1994. Print.
Solomon, Andrea. Shakespeare and Jews. Renaissance Quarterly Vol. 51, No.1, Spring 1998. P. 306+. Literature Resource Center, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A20602571/LitRC?u=j071909004&sid=LitRC&xid=624a24d8. Accessed on 8 February 2019.
