My Reading Declaration in Brief
Chapter Three: Subjectivity
"Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same."
Bernard Shaw
If a work of art moves you, it does not matter if it moves no other person in the world. Even if the rest of the world despises that work of art, it should not mean any less to you. Your tastes are subjective, and so are the tastes of every other individual in the world.
Be wary of those that would make their subjective tastes into universal, absolute claims. And ignore anybody that would deny your individual experience with a work of art.
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taste is also such a product of influence and mood that it tends to waver from moment to moment, never mind person to person. influenced by mood, education, upbringing, and whatever else.
ReplyDeletehowever, i don't think it is always a good idea to only read or watch or observe what is most enjoyable or what moves you the most. this tends to keep your tastes isolated, rather than developing them.
how does a work fulfill the purpose is a question to be asked. how does a hallmark card fulfill a purpose vs an emily dickinson poem? many of my creative writing students would say a song lyric very similar to a hallmark poem is as enjoyable or meaningful as an emily dickinson poem, or more so. it is partly my job to show those students how emily dickinson is a superior artist and why they should emulate her instead of the hallmark card. maybe there is no difference.
rk