LITERATURE: S/Z – Comprehension

The tree fell.

Not a but the.  So a particular tree.  What kind?  As I write, I am thinking of a birch.  Do they have birches in Australia?  What tree would my brother call up as an image?  How big is the tree?  I didn’t say.  Did the tree fall suddenly, beaten by a brutal storm that rendered it top-heavy with rain or struck by a flash of light?  Did it fall creaking and slowly, a giant tumbled by its own age.

This is oversimplification of a complicated theory, but Barthes is not easily read alone.  Though he likely would not mind my perception.  There needs to be a classroom discussion to hear all the voices and prove the point.

I’ve not taken on a new novel as yet, nor picked up another journal from my backlog.  I need to spend the time first learning to read.  Blunder again into Joyce’s Afternoon, A Story or Shelley Jackson’s Patchwork Girl.  These too, I feel a need for companionship on the journey.  I am missing signposts and seem to race through to remain lost. 

Perhaps Barthes will help me find my way.

This entry was posted in LITERATURE and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to LITERATURE: S/Z – Comprehension

  1. Creechman says:

    How do you find time to read all this stuff? I still feel I let you down because I quit “Love in Time of Cholera.”

Comments are closed.