Within the first
few chapters of How to Read Literature
Like a Professor Foster introduces the idea that nearly every piece of work
is borrowed or based off something else. To clarify even more, he shares this
quote taken from King Solomon that directly expresses this idea, “There is
nothing new under the sun.” Foster further explains that we are all just contributing to
the same story. In other words, every idea is spawned from another. He also discusses some
issues associated with this model. For example, he mentions Ulysses by James Joyce which is a story
that mimics Homer’s The Odyssey,
while taking place in early 20th century Northern Ireland. When
first published the intended audience was easily able to understand the allusions within the plot; however, now
it is rare for an audience to have the same knowledge base. Now, it is difficult to find a person outside of academia who has read the
majority of these classics that contemporary authors tend to draw from. As a result, it
seems as if the average reader will never divulge into that level of
understanding. Foster does make a point of explaining that even if a reader
were to overlook the hidden meaning or symbolism they still benefit from exposure
to the actual story.
Overall, I disagree with the notion
that nothing is original. Disregarding the chicken verses the egg debate; I
think that anything that cannot be recreated is definitely unique and original.
A modern author can write a historical fiction novel, but it will never be to the
same caliber of another work that was written during the appropriate time. What
is impossible to recreate are the circumstances that caused that author to feel
a certain way, or what influenced them to write about a particular issue or
experience. Our experiences are something so personal and so specific that they
will never occur to the same person, and if by some twist of fate a person was
fostered in the exact same environment it would still be different because
there is no way to know how that person would react to the same experiences.
All in all, it is important to understand why some authors choose to borrow
themes, but I cannot agree that nothing is original.
I agree wholeheartedly with your conclusion that nothing can be exactly the same as something else. Although there may be similarities between things (as there always are), it is impossible to create an exact replica of another thing, and there is no need to. The seemingly slight differences is what makes each object unique, and human nature forces us to have slightly different preferences, making people value those differences even more. Different life experiences yield different reactions from people, so it cannot be said that nothing is new under the sun. Sure, many similarities may exist, but duplicates certainly do not.
ReplyDeleteFoster was not intending to mean that stories replicate, instead he wrote more along the lines of every story having a root in another story. The idea is that stories branch out from other stories, all being added to a continuous collection of stories. Certain themes, symbols, archetypes, and characters can be recognized across the board. So I do not think that this idea makes new pieces any less unique or special, as a matter of fact, I hold the belief that it makes them more special. The idea that stories are reflected in other stories gives literature almost an immortal aspect. Most of same problems faced in the past are still faced today, of course different, but at the core, not new. This concept connects the past and the present in a wonderful way.
ReplyDeleteKing Solomon's quote, "There is nothing new under the sun," sparks very much interest from me as well. I agree with your disagreement in pointing out that nothing is original. I do believe that for the most part ideas are spawned off of other ideas but, originality utterly creates more originality. Addressing the recreation of something still being original is great, Clare. I too agree with the fact that it takes a significant amount of originality and creativity to morph and change something that has indeed already been completed. The addition of news ideas, thoughts, and aspects cannot be considered unoriginal just because the main plot has been repeated. Originality lurks around everywhere, you just have to know where to look.
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