NewYorker 1/29

This class offered up a lot of clarity for the reading about silence. What I got out of the class at the end, was that basically all texts (whether it be actualy words, or pictures) are based on prior knowledge and cultural influences. The pictures of Marilyn Monroe and Richard Geere were both examples of what we think "sexy" can mean. We all agreed on this because of prior knowledge of the word sex/sexy, other pictures we have seen in the past, etc. We then got to talking about intertextuality, that all texts are related or connected in some way, and I believe this to be true because previous knowledge about certain things helps lead you to conclusions/explainations/understandings about future/other things. For example, the class's previous knowledge from CMC 100 (about thinking critically) helped us draw conclusions about the photos presented in class. However, the "ghoti" example lead many of us to believe the wrong pronounciaton based on our prior knowledge of the English language. So when do we know to follow the rules, and when do we know to break them, or to think outside the box? I don't believe this question can simply ever be answered. I think that sometimes we have to learn based on life's experiences, either positive or negative, or whether we make a mistake or do something right.
Further, Macherey's reading about silence in writing was very interesting. It's always easier to tell silence through speech and body language, but I never thought there could be silence in writing. But now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense because obviously when writing something, elements are going to be omited, and certain words are going to be chosen over others. It is thus our job as readers to interperet what is being written, and to read between the lines. Sometimes you can't take writings at face value, you really have to dig deep and interperet. But reading can be very difficult sometimes, because there is no tone of voice, so you cannot tell if something written is sarcastic or sincere. Also, usually the reader does not know the writer so you are unaware of their past experiences, or may be uncomfortable with their writing style (i.e. vocabulary, punctuation, viewpoint, etc).