Informed Reader

While doing this weeks short critical discussion I have reviewed a couple of the past readings, and I could not help but to utilize then While reading “Arab In America”. Also I thought about Persepolis and the things we discussed in class and how these articles also applied to the book. In “Arab In America” I thought it was really interesting that Toulif made a clear distinction between himself and the other characters by giving himself the additional traits of chest hair and a beard. Reading a book titled “Arab In America” if you did not catch on through the title that he was an Arab it becomes apparent now by the other children having a standard basic look about them selves. 


Regarding Locke’s piece on From An Essay Concerning Human Understanding it dwells on how people gain their simple and mixed modes. To be honest since I do not personally know any Arab people I would have to say that I gain my image of them from movies or maybe even phrases people say. Such as harry like an Arab (please do not be offended anyone, just things I have heard). Situations that I am exposed to have imprinted stereotypical images in my mind which or may not be correct. But I feel this in a way goes against Ong’s “The Audience Is Always Fictive” he says it makes it can be a challenge or difficult task for authors to gain command of what role they set out to play when to me in this reading it is clear. Also with Persepolis I’m positive the comics help me as a reader gain a clear image of cultural background, but I can confidently say I would have been racking my brain trying to figure out what was the origin of her character.

Another thing we discussed was amplification through simplification. Not only did I find it interesting that they decided not to use color in “Arab In America” but I thought it pertained to the topic of amplification through simplification. Although if asked would you rather see a picture with color most may say yes. In this case I feel it may have distracted from the point of the novel also with Persepolis. I feel as though the lack of color helps people to pay attention to the words and that it also emphasizes the unity of in the story being told, and how everything is never different as it should be. The use of color may emphasize something that is not a main point or desire of the author’s to communicate to the reader. All in all what I guess I’m trying to convey is by becoming an informed reader it also makes you a critic.