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It is only knowledge produced with difficulty that we truly value - Coggle…
It is only knowledge produced with difficulty that we truly value
key words to consider. only, truly
What kind of knowledge is produced with difficulty?
knowledge produced easily is not truly valuable?
Which is more valuable? You read a poem several times and try to find out what the poet wants to say, considering different possible interpretations or you ask an expert to clarify the gist of the poem in a minute?
Which is more valuable? Either you read an essay explaining what communism is or you read a novel in which characters somehow deal with communism in practice?
What is the true knowledge or truth in literature?
Generally, we think of "fiction" as something fake, imaginary. But we know that all writers convey some ideas or massages to their readers
Can knowledge come from fiction? In reading Doris Lessing's The Sweetest Dream, you gain a lot of information about British communist party during 50s and 60s. But to what extent can we rely on the knowledge we gain from this novel? Take for example, sexual freedom which leads eventually to sexophobia in communist party, which is emphasized by Lessing in the novel. Was is true during 60s? Can we rely on these kinds of information we gain from fiction?
Think about knowledge we gain from subversive texts in literature. Since all subversive texts undermine social values and traditions of the time (some even facing taboo), can we say the knowledge we acquire from such texts are truly valuable because the author has risked their life to produce such works?
Feminist works like Woolf's A room of one's own OR Criticizing totalitarianism in zamyatin's We
Some taxts in literature have one surface meaning and some deeper/ hidden meaning and it can even be extremely ambiguous and open for variety of interpretations. Where does the true knowledge lie in such texts?
Symbols
historical allusion
We need to look for evidence in historical books and accounts to prove the validity of the knowledge here
religious allusion
ambiguity
open-ended plots
Do authors mainly reflect their personal knowledge in their work or shared knowledge? If it is personal knowledge, can we rely on that? If it is shared knowledge and tangible/ understandable to everyone, then does it mean it is a knowledge not produced with difficulty and therefore less valuable?
Singe perspective vs. multiple perspectives: of course the author's single perspective can be less valid at times, but unique and thought-provoking at the other times