The first blog post that I have chosen for my evaluation is “The Mutual Interdependency of Oral and Written Culture” (Assignment 1.3), and is linked below. It includes a discussion of the concept of literacy and orality as existing in a symbiotic relationship with no defined structural hierarchy, rather than the commonly perceived unequal dichotomy. It also considered the ways in which the two mediums have complicated forms in modern times, within the space of the internet as well as in less distinct or recognizable physical forms.
The second post that I have chosen is “Approaching Authenticity: The Integrity of Storytelling” (Assignment 2.6). In this piece I examine the challenges posed by differing definitions of storytelling “authenticity” in various cultures. Further, I consider the consequences of challenging this authenticity in Indigenous communities, and the importance of awareness in regards to the meaning behind the questions we ask storytellers.
Thirdly, I have chosen “Literary Criticism and the Reconstruction of National Identity” (Assignment 3.2). This piece is derived from consideration of essays by Lee Maracle and Northrop Frye, and discusses the function of criticism as a method of instigating discourse in Salish communities and promoting qualitative growth and progression of their collective identity. While comparing Maracle’s analysis of myth-making alongside that by Frye, I also discuss the ways that the creation and adaptation of myths in Salish and Euro-Canadian society enables the reconstruction of identity in the face of modern influence.
Literary Criticism and the Reconstruction of National Identity
