Alright, so I’m not exactly sure what to write for this blog (particularly for an introduction), so bear with me as I stumble through this. I’m sure it’ll get easier as I get more accustomed to the class. In any case, first I’ll tell you a bit about myself and then we can get into the fun theory stuff.
My name is Carmen Drake, and I’m currently in my third year here at CSUN. I like to keep busy, so I’m involved in several positions in my sorority and on the CSUN Dance Team. I have a love for reading that has existed for as long as I can remember, which has resulted in a slightly overactive imagination and a near-empty bank account. After reading, comes dance and then photography. I’ve recently become quite the collector of hobbies and look forward to try new things, which has recently led me to learn that I’m surprisingly good with a shotgun (skydiving is up next!)
Now, on to my introductory thoughts about Critical Theory... I’ve never taken a critical theory class before, so I know much about critical theories. Actually, to be more accurate, I know nothing about critical theory. Zip. Zero. Zilch. That being said, I’ll admit, this class is a little bit intimidating to me especially since when some my fellow students speak I feel like I have a huge question mark looming above my head. I’ve heard so many of the terms used for theory before, but I’ve never taken the time to learn them, which makes me feel a little behind already (which is ironic because I’m coming to this class to learn things, not because I already know them). The first readings also seemed a bit confusing, but as I went on, things got clearer and clearer once again with discussion. I’m excited for this class, but I know I’m going to have some confusion and misunderstandings along the way since this subject is so new to me.
In our first class we were asked what our “theory of theory” was. When the question was first asked, I was a somewhat confused. I know nothing about theory, so all I could think of was “how am I supposed to know what mine is if I don’t know what my options are?” However, as the class discussion proceeded I got a better idea of what was being asked and was consequently able to clarify my own thoughts, making it easier to come up with a better understanding and a rough answer.
I’ve decided that my theory of theory is that an author’s true intentions can never truly be known (even to the author himself) as much of the reasoning behind a work is unconscious. When we write, we reveal significant details about our beliefs and backgrounds that greatly impact the writing and readers’ responses. Authors often include themes and ideas that are important to their stories without even realizing that they are doing so and I think that sometimes when we write, we teach ourselves about ourselves, if that makes any sense.
As I said before, I’m new to all of this, so I apologize if I sound like an idiot sometimes throughout the course of the semester, but I’m looking forward to trying something new and learning some new things!
Hi Carmen!
ReplyDeleteNice to know there's another book nerd out there! I actually have a shelf at Shelfari (http://www.shelfari.com/lesliekay) where I keep (mostly) updated on my reading. I also started keeping a reading journal, which I took from some advice from an article I read about reading texts for class. Sometimes I'll forget what I read about when I come back to the book a year or so later, so in my journal, I just jot down a quick summary, any quotes I found interesting and a short bit about what I thought about the book.
And don't worry; I felt just as confused at some parts as you did during the first discussion of the texts. I too have never taken a theory class before, so it's a bit daunting. Here's to us learning something new this semester!