tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3354814281006350164.post1476857365590070616..comments2023-03-23T21:44:30.265-04:00Comments on ENG L371 Critical Practices: "Equipment for Living" (in uncertain times): Every Letter Is A Fictiontgrabanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16913401531606867135noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3354814281006350164.post-70245681661177678822011-10-19T18:28:50.219-04:002011-10-19T18:28:50.219-04:00I think in order to claim every word is a fiction,...I think in order to claim every word is a fiction, fiction needs to be defined. In the sense that every word is a representation, sometimes glamorized, (there's a use of echolalia in "The Great Gatsby" that makes a reader think it's a flower-- it's not), sometimes minimized, sometimes exact, such as when a word sounds like what it is...(the word 'water' kind of flows)...of what it represents, then I would agree that every word is a fiction in its' similarity to a novel.<br /><br />Is this kind of what you mean?Kimberly Hunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09442475845069267555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3354814281006350164.post-83501025310355626562011-10-16T23:32:52.327-04:002011-10-16T23:32:52.327-04:00I really like this theory of every letter being a ...I really like this theory of every letter being a fiction, because it is honestly very true. That is what language itself is, a fiction of reality. Something that people use to signify what is not present at the time. Your last paragraph really speaks to the limitations of language in regards to what it attempts to achieve and what it is really capable of. The world and all that encapsulates and surrounds it is extremely complex, and language is what we use to attempt to discuss and describe it. Letters and words can only go so far, and Derrida's differance theory really fleshes this matter out. Your example of "to, too, and two" really hits the nail on the head. The only way you would know which meaning the word was trying to stand in for would be to literally see it written out or have someone describe it for you. Words can only partially signify when they stand alone. They need to be coupled with other pieces of language in order to signify as efficiently as possible. The least amount of explanation is normally the best explanation, at least in terms of getting the idea across that one is trying to present. The less explanation one must give, the more successful the language. Just a thought.jschultheishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04532058664878625957noreply@blogger.com