Enigma

What surprised you?

            Having no preconceived notion of what the text was allowed me to be rather surprised with the writing style and storytelling method that the author presented. I have yet to encounter such enigmatic writing style, so imagine my surprise when reading such a hodgepodge of writing styles. The short sentences, the exposition, the storytelling, everything caught me off guard, despite me not having any preconceived expectations of the text. What I thought would be a quick read, turned out to be a paper I would read again and again trying my best to unpack all that I could.

What intrigued you?

            When I read the paragraph of Anne Brewster writing about Fictocriticism, every other thing in the paper of Walwicz clicked, it was a kaleidoscope of writing styles working together to tell a story. The openness and collage-like nature of fictocriticism can become an avenue for unrivaled creativity free from the chains of rules and regulations whether academic or not; a way for one to spread their creative wings and fly free. It is refreshing to find out that there is a style of writing where one is not bound by tradition but is able to allow one’s imagination to run wild. Fictocriticism feels like a whole new world to me and I would love to become an explorer delving into this strange, unfamiliar, and ever-changing new land.

What disturbed you?

            When looking at the quote by the Ohio Statesman: When everyone thinks the same – no one thinks, I cannot help but feel disturbed and depressed at the current state of societal thinking. The quote is a representation of people becoming or have become of one train of thought; a collective hivemind; the abandonment of creativity; and the embracement of monotonous thought. This embracement of a collective thought comes from a need to survive and to thrive. In our present society, this notion of monotony reigns supreme in the career fields prioritizing practical work over creative pursuits. The incredible ability of our minds to express creativity, a gift given to us, withers in the dark as practicality and tradition sits at the throne of society’s deemed importance.