The Written Word: A Blessing Or A Curse?

Rosenwasser, David, and Jill Stephen. Writing Analytically. Massachusetts: Wadsworth, 2008. Print.
          In "Writing Analytically," Rosenwasser and Stephen, the authors, introduce a new approach to reading and writing. They have proposed this idea of taking a certain text, learning how to properly analyze that text, and using that analysis as a “lens” for the readers' future writing endeavors. Not only does “Writing Analytically” introduce the fore-mentioned process, but also dives into how one might go about complicating, or conversing, with another writer's work. In this light, the idea is that one might better understand the meaning, or meanings, behind the text that most would simply overlook.
          When taking a step back to truly attempt to understand the author's intentions in this piece, their love for literary advancement and words in general help to create the environment in which teaching and learning can play their roles. It's obvious to see that the two authors are attempting to reach through to a generation taught to read for the sake of understanding the main point. People tend to overlook the little meanings behind a particular piece of writing, and to some that may bring about the idea of a word being dead once spoken or written. Instead, Rosenwasser and Stephen pursue the educational advancement of analytical reading and writing to, in my eyes, help readers reach a point beyond their normal comfort. This opens up the gateway to allow a reader the opportunity to think more critically and gain a deeper understanding.
           As I read through “Writing Analytically,” I couldn't help but find myself in a sort of droned out state. The words seemed to just come together on the paper without managing to make much sense. The ideas were right in front of my face, laid out like Thanksgiving dinner, I just felt the dull manner in which they were presented only helped to complete the mass confusion in which I was to spend two hours laboring through. Not all of what was read passed through my mind without burrowing it's way into my memory. Referring back to what Plato speculations that the world would ultimately be damaged by the written word (Rosenwasser and Stephen 207). “Writing, he argued would eliminate people's need to remember things, and thus their capacity for assimilating information would decline (Rosenwasser and Stephen 207). An argument that could create a pathway in many different directions, yet weighs so little upon the minds of my generation. If Plato were alive to see the world as it is today, I believe he would have a big “I told you so” waiting for everyone. Why though, must a written word lose it's affect just because it's more easily accessible? The majority of the world manage to pass through their day-to-day routines without noticing the writing. In this respect, Plato was absolutely correct. Credit has been given where it is due, but mankind's ability to retract has proven to be highly remarkable. Rosenwasser and Stephen hit the nail on the head in their attempts at teaching readers that Emily Dickinson was correct when she said, “A word is dead/When it is said,/Some say./I say it just/Begins to live/That day (210). The written word has changed society's outlook on nearly everything, but they have yet to lose their meaning.