--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@...> wrote: > > -- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "raunchydog" <raunchydog@> > wrote: > > > > This is an interesting piece, Barry. I guess the premise of projection > might > > apply to the writings of Robin as well, yes? > > Hey, if you're saying that he's just pretending to be a "changed man" > in his writings but at heart he's really still Adolf Hitler, that's your > take on the situation, not mine. :-) >
Seems to me you missed the premise of your own post. > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb no_reply@ wrote: > > > > > > Having written in creative contexts, during which I had to invent > > > characters and then "put myself inside their heads" to make them > > > believable, I've always wondered about those who feel that they can > > > "know" a writer from what they write. > > > > > > For example, I've heard supposedly knowledgeable critics call > Stephen > > > King "sick" for writing some of his horror scenes, while completely > > > ignoring some of his more spiritual and uplifting work, such as the > > > noble quests and characters in, say, "The Talisman." Similarly I've > seen > > > people describe William Peter Blatty as "obviously possessed by > demons > > > and under the influence of Satan" for writing what others consider > one > > > of the most Catholic (and thus religious) books ever written, "The > > > Exorcist." > > > > > > Having had this experience of creating characters or plotlines and > then > > > immersing myself in them long enough to write about them in a way > that > > > sounds realistic, I'm not convinced of people's claims to be able to > > > "know" any writer based on what he or she writes. I think that > instead > > > people tend to *project* what they want to see onto a passage of > > > writing, and attribute to the writer emotions, thoughts, or > qualities he > > > or she might not have had. Thus someone who already wishes to > believe > > > that Maharishi is a Good Guy can read what he writes and see nothing > but > > > Good Guyness there, while someone who is already convinced that he > is a > > > charlatan can read the same passage and see nothing but charlatanry. > > > > > > I think people do this all the time...bring their preconceptions > about a > > > writer into play and allow them to color what they read, and their > > > perceptions of what and who the writer is. For example, the other > day I > > > read about a writing workshop in which the students were asked to > read > > > the following quote from Gandhi, and comment on what they "saw" of > the > > > author's psychological state and overall personality in it. > Here...you > > > guys give it a try, too: > > > > > > "I can give vent to my inmost feelings only in the form of humble > thanks > > > to Providence which called upon me and vouchsafed it to me...to rise > to > > > be the leader of my people, so dear to me. Providence showed me the > way > > > to free our people from the depths of its misery without bloodshed > and > > > to lead it upward once again. Providence granted that I might > fulfill my > > > life's task -- to raise my people out of the depths of defeat and to > > > liberate it from the bonds of the most outrageous dictate of all > > > times... I have regarded myself as called upon by Providence to > serve my > > > own people alone and to deliver them from their frightful misery." > > > > > > The students went on and on about the qualities of the noble > spiritual > > > leader they saw in this passage, and how perfectly it reflected > Gandhi's > > > philosophy of non-violence and dedication to humanity. They compared > the > > > style of this paragraph to other famous quotes of Gandhi's, and used > > > both sets of words to back up their perceptions of the writer as a > noble > > > and religious man, nigh unto saintly in his dedication to his fellow > > > man. > > > > > > At the end of the exercise the professor revealed to the students > that > > > the quote (with a few "spoiler" words removed) is from a 1939 speech > > > delivered to the Reichstag by Adolf Hitler. > > > > > >
