How and Why We Read: Crash Course English Literature #1

Summary

In this Crash Course episode, John Green emphasizes the importance of reading and writing as tools for communication and empathy. He argues that while writing can be a means to share complex ideas, reading is an act of understanding others' experiences. Green encourages critical reading to deepen our empathy and enhance our ability to communicate our own stories effectively. The episode sets the stage for a mini-series exploring classic literature, starting with 'Romeo and Juliet'.

Takeaways

• 📚 The script emphasizes the importance of reading and writing as a means of communication and a marker of civilization, despite being a problematic notion.
• 🗣️ Reading and writing allow us to communicate with people far away and even hear the voices of the past, as they provide a direct and transparent form of communication.
• 📖 The script highlights the significance of grammar in enabling us to describe complex experiences and ideas, which is essential for effective communication.
• 🎭 Reading is described as an act of empathy, requiring the reader to imagine being someone else and experiencing their emotions and perspectives.
• 🎨 The use of literary devices like iambic pentameter or a red hunting cap is to enrich the reader's experience, not just to provide material for academic analysis.
• 📜 The concept of 'authorial intent' is downplayed, suggesting that the reader's interpretation and experience of a text are more important than the author's original intentions.
• 💡 Reading critically is encouraged to understand the subtle ways authors communicate complex human experiences, rather than merely searching for symbols.
• 🌐 The script suggests that reading critically helps us understand different lives, fosters empathy, and provides the linguistic tools to share our own stories with precision.
• 💔 It uses the metaphor of a breakup to illustrate the difficulty of communicating personal emotions and experiences to others, especially through written text.
• 🌟 The 'green light' in 'The Great Gatsby' is given as an example of a powerful symbol that resonates with readers because it taps into universal feelings of yearning and ambition.
• 📚 The upcoming mini-series will cover various literary works, including 'The Great Gatsby', 'Romeo and Juliet', Emily Dickinson's poetry, and 'The Catcher in the Rye', to explore themes of reading and writing.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video script provided?

The main theme of the video script is the importance of reading and writing in English, the role of literature in communication, and the act of reading as an exercise in empathy.

Why does the script mention 'Mules and Men' and 'The Odyssey'?

The script mentions 'Mules and Men' and 'The Odyssey' as examples of great stories that were part of the oral tradition before being written down, illustrating that stories can have significant impact without written form.

What does John Green argue about the role of grammar in communication?

John Green argues that grammar was invented not to make learning difficult, but to enable the description of complex ideas and experiences, facilitating clear and effective communication.

Why does the script discuss the concept of 'authorial intent'?

The script discusses 'authorial intent' to emphasize that the reader's experience and interpretation of a text are more important than the author's original intentions, suggesting that readers should have the power to make their own meanings.

What is the significance of the 'secret compartment' in the script?

The 'secret compartment' is a playful element used in the script to introduce a metaphor from 'The Great Gatsby', symbolizing the act of reading as a journey into the past.

What does John Green mean by 'reading is always an act of empathy'?

By saying 'reading is always an act of empathy', John Green means that reading involves understanding and imagining the experiences and emotions of others, which is a fundamental aspect of connecting with a text.

How does the script connect the act of reading to the broader human experience?

The script connects reading to the broader human experience by suggesting that through reading, we can gain insights into the lives of others, develop empathy, and better understand our own emotions and experiences.

What is the role of critical reading as described in the script?

Critical reading, as described in the script, involves looking closely at a text and understanding the subtle ways an author communicates complex human experiences. It is meant to enhance understanding and empathy, not just to find symbols for academic purposes.

Why does the script use hyperbole and metaphor in the example of a breakup?

The script uses hyperbole and metaphor in the breakup example to illustrate how language can be used to express intense emotions and to highlight the challenge of communicating personal experiences to others.

What is the purpose of the 'Open Letter to Authorial Intent' section in the script?

The 'Open Letter to Authorial Intent' section serves to challenge the primacy of an author's intentions in the interpretation of literature, arguing for the reader's right to find meaning in a text regardless of the author's original intent.

What upcoming literature will be discussed in the following weeks according to the script?

According to the script, the upcoming weeks will include discussions on 'The Great Gatsby', 'Romeo and Juliet', poetry by Emily Dickinson, and 'The Catcher in the Rye'.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Importance and Joy of Reading

John Green introduces the mini-series on reading and writing in English, emphasizing the significance of reading as a means of communication across distances and time. He challenges the notion that writing is a marker of civilization, citing examples of rich oral traditions. Green discusses the purpose of grammar and language as tools for expressing complex ideas and experiences. He views reading as an act of empathy, allowing readers to imagine being someone else. The paragraph concludes with Green's perspective on authorial intent, suggesting that a reader's interpretation is more important than the author's original intent, encouraging readers to engage actively with the text.

05:02

🔍 The Power of Critical Reading

In the second paragraph, Green discusses the value of critical reading, arguing that it is not about finding symbols to pass a test, but about understanding language to gain a fuller comprehension of other lives, fostering empathy. He humorously suggests that reading critically could even help avoid personal misfortunes like breakups. Green explains that critical reading provides the linguistic tools necessary to share one's own story with precision, which is beneficial in both personal and professional contexts. He connects the act of reading to the shared human experience, using 'The Great Gatsby' as an example of how literature can help us understand ourselves and others. The paragraph ends with an overview of the literature that will be covered in the upcoming weeks, including 'Romeo and Juliet', Emily Dickinson's poetry, and 'The Catcher in the Rye', and an invitation to join the Crash Course journey.

Keywords

💡Roll in

The term 'roll in' in the context of the video script refers to the introduction of books or resources in a manner that is characteristic of the Crash Course series. It is a playful way to signal the start of the educational segment and sets the tone for the viewer that they are about to embark on a learning journey. It is mentioned in the beginning, indicating the expectation of a familiar routine for the audience.

💡Markers of civilization

The phrase 'markers of civilization' is used to describe certain achievements or developments that are considered indicative of a society's progress or advancement. In the script, it is mentioned in relation to writing and the ability to read, suggesting that these skills are often seen as hallmarks of a civilized society. However, the speaker also challenges this notion by arguing that oral traditions can also hold great cultural and historical significance.

💡Oral tradition

Oral tradition refers to the transmission of knowledge, stories, and cultural practices through spoken language rather than written records. The script highlights the importance of oral tradition by citing examples such as 'Mules and Men' and 'The Odyssey,' which were initially part of oral storytelling before being written down. This term is central to the video's theme of communication and the preservation of stories across time.

💡Communication

Communication is the process of sharing information, ideas, or feelings through speech, writing, or other forms of expression. In the video, the speaker emphasizes that stories and language are fundamentally about communication, whether they are shared orally or in writing. The concept of communication is integral to the video's exploration of reading and writing as means to connect with others and understand different perspectives.

💡Grammar

Grammar is the set of structural rules governing the composition of sentences, phrases, and words in a language. The script discusses grammar in the context of its utility for clear and effective communication. It is mentioned as a tool invented not to make learning difficult, but to enable the expression of complex ideas and experiences, such as describing the sensation of flying through a cloud or jumping over a puddle.

💡Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. The video script describes reading as an act of empathy, as it involves imagining the experiences and perspectives of others. This concept is highlighted as a key benefit of reading, allowing readers to connect with characters and authors, and to develop a deeper understanding of different lives and emotions.

💡Authorial intent

Authorial intent refers to the original purpose or meaning that an author intends to convey through their work. In the script, the speaker argues that the author's intent is less important than the reader's experience and interpretation of the text. The video encourages readers to engage with the text actively, finding personal meaning and resonance, regardless of the author's original intentions.

💡Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect. In the script, the speaker uses hyperbolic language to describe the emotional impact of a breakup, such as 'completely OBLITERATED' and 'HEART IS BROKEN.' This serves to illustrate the challenge of conveying complex emotions through language and the potential gap between the intensity of one's feelings and the ability of words to communicate them.

💡Metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn't literally true but helps to make a comparison or express an idea more vividly. The script uses the phrase 'my heart is SHATTERED INTO A MILLION PIECES' as an example of a metaphor, attempting to convey the depth of emotional pain felt after a breakup. Metaphors are discussed as a tool for writers to communicate complex and nuanced experiences.

💡Critical reading

Critical reading involves carefully analyzing a text to understand its meaning, purpose, and the techniques used by the author. The video script encourages viewers to read critically, not to hunt for symbols, but to gain a deeper understanding of the human experience as conveyed through language. Critical reading is presented as a way to enhance empathy, improve communication skills, and connect with others on a deeper level.

💡Symbol

A symbol is something that represents or stands for something else, often to convey complex ideas or emotions in a more abstract or universal way. The script discusses symbols in literature, such as the green light in 'The Great Gatsby,' as a means for authors to communicate deeper themes and for readers to connect with the text on a personal level. Symbols are presented as a way to enrich the reading experience and to foster a sense of shared understanding among readers.

Highlights

Introduction to the mini-series on reading and writing in English

Challenges of oral tradition versus written tradition for preserving stories

The importance of reading and writing in communicating with people far away and the dead

The purpose of grammar and language for effective communication

Reading as an act of empathy and imagination

The significance of writing in conveying complex ideas and experiences

Authorial intent versus reader interpretation of literature

The irrelevance of authorial intent to the reader's experience

The power dynamics between author and reader in literature

Difficulty in communicating personal emotions to others

The use of hyperbole and metaphor in expressing emotions

The challenge of conveying complex emotions through written text

The importance of critical reading for understanding human experiences

Reading critically to enhance empathy and linguistic precision

Reading as a tool for understanding and sharing personal and corporate stories

The symbolism of the green light in The Great Gatsby and its universal appeal

Upcoming readings including Gatsby, Romeo and Juliet, Emily Dickinson's poetry, and The Catcher in the Rye

The Crash Course production team credits

Encouragement to ask questions and engage with the Crash Course community

Transcripts

Hi I’m John Green and this is Crash Course. Can we get these books to roll in in the future?

It doesn’t feel like Crash Course unless there’s a roll in.

[Theme Music]

Today, before we begin our mini-series on reading and writing in English, we’re going

to discuss how to read and why. So, if you watched our series on world history,

you’ll no doubt remember that writing (and the ability to read it) are so-called markers of civilization.

Now, that’s a really problematic idea. I mean, for one thing, great stories can have great lives in the oral tradition.

Like, one of my favorite books, Mules and Men by Zora Neale Hurston, was a collection of folklore

that lived in the oral tradition until Zora Neale Hurston wrote it down.

And the same can be said for another of my favorite books, The Odyssey.

But we privilege reading and writing because they allow us to communicate directly and

transparently with people who live very far away from us, and they also allow us to kind

of hear the voices of the dead. I mean, I don’t want to get all liberal

arts-y on you, but I want to make this clear; for me, stories are about communication.

We didn’t invent grammar so that your life would be miserable in grade school as you

attempted to learn what the Marquez a preposition is. By the way, on this program, I will be

inserting names of my favorite writers when I would otherwise insert curse words.

We invented grammar because without prepositions, we couldn’t describe what it’s like to

fly through a cloud, or jump over a puddle, or Faulkner beneath the stars.

Like, right now, if I’m doing my job, and you’re doing your job, you aren’t thinking

about the fact that I’m contorting my mouth and tongue and vocal chords to create sounds

that then exist as ideas in your brain; it’s just happening.

But if my language gets confusing -- if I parles en francais or incorrect word order use or

eekspay inyay igpay atinlay, then I erect a barrier between you and me.

You and I? You and me. Writing--or at least good writing--is an outgrowth

of that urge to use language to communicate complex ideas and experiences between people.

And that’s true whether you’re reading Shakespeare or bad vampire fiction, reading

is always an act of empathy. It’s always an imagining of what it’s like to be someone else.

So when Shakespeare uses iambic pentameter,

or Salinger uses a red hunting cap, they aren’t doing this so that your English teachers will

have something to torture you with. They’re doing it, at least if they’re

doing it on purpose, so the story can have a bigger and better life in your mind.

But, for the record, the question of whether they’re doing it on purpose is not a very interesting question.

Oh, we’re still doing open letters?

An Open Letter to Authorial Intent. But first, let’s see what’s in the secret compartment today.

Oh, it’s a boat beating against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

Dear authorial intent, As an author, let me speak to you directly. You don’t matter.

Look, I’m not willing to go as far as the postmodernists and say that the author is

dead because that would make me very nervous. However, the author is not that important.

Whether an author intended a symbolic resonance to exist in her book is irrelevant. All that

matters is whether it’s there because the book does not exist for the benefit of the

author. The book exists for the benefit of you.

If we, as readers, could have a bigger and richer experience with the world as a result

of reading a symbol and that symbol wasn’t intended by the author, we still win.

Yes, inevitably, reading is a conversation between an author and a reader. But give yourself

some power in that conversation, reader. Go out there and make a world.

Best wishes, John Green

Here’s the thing: It is extremely hard to get other people to feel what we are feeling.

Like, you may have experienced this in your own life. Say my college girlfriend broke

up with me...and she did. I want to explain what I’m feeling to my

best friend in the entire world. So I say, I am completely OBLITERATED. My HEART IS BROKEN.

In fact, my heart is SHATTERED INTO A MILLION PIECES.

Right, so, a few things are going on here: First, in excellent news, my heart has not

been shattered into a million pieces. It is pumping blood in precisely the same way that

it did before the breakup. Secondly, in further good news, I am not totally

obliterated. Total obliteration of me would look like this.

I’m using the techniques of hyperbole, in the case of obliteration, and metaphor, in

the case of my broken heart, to try to describe the things that are happening inside of me.

But because I’m not using particularly compelling or original figurative language, my friend

may struggle to empathize with me, and this is my BEST FRIEND in the entire world.

Now imagine that you’re trying to communicate far more complicated and nuanced experiences

and emotions. And instead of just trying to communicate them to your best friend, you’re

trying to talk to strangers, some of whom may live very far away and, in fact, live

centuries after your death. Not only that, but instead of this happening

during a pleasant conversation, they are reading your dry, dead text on a page.

So they can’t hear your intonation or see the tears dripping from your cheeks even though

it turns out that this breakup is going to be one of the best things that ever happened to you.

So THAT is the challenge that Shakespeare

faces, and it’s also the challenge that you face whenever you write for an audience,

whether it’s a novel or a pedantic YouTube comment about the accuracy of our Gallifreyan.

Hush! This is fantastic Gallifreyan. So I’m going to ask you to read critically,

to look closely at a text and pay attention to the subtle ways the author is trying to communicate the

full complexity of human experience, but I’m not asking you to go symbol-hunting because reading is supposed

to be some treasure map in which you discover symbols, write them down, and then get an A in class.

I’m asking you to read critically because by understanding language, you will

1. Have a fuller understanding of lives other than your own, which

2. Will help you to be more empathetic, and thereby

3. Help you to avoid getting dumped by that young woman in the first place, although more importantly

4. Reading critically and attentively can give you the linguistic tools to share your own story with more precision.

And that will help people to understand your joy and your heartbreak, yes, but will also

be helpful in many other ways, like when you are trying to convince the company to move

forward with your fourth quarter strategy or whatever it is that people with real jobs do.

Reading thoughtfully gives us better tools

to explain corporate profits and broken hearts. And it also connects us to each other.

The real reason the green light in The Great Gatsby is such a wonderful symbol is because

we all know what it’s like to be outside in the evening, staring off into the distance

at a future that may never be ours. We’ve all felt that stomach-churning mix

of yearning and ambition that Gatsby feels as he stares out at that green light across the harbor.

And by knowing what it’s like to be Gatsby,

we learn more about those around us, those who came before us, and we learn more about ourselves.

So, over the next few weeks, we’ll be reading

not just Gatsby but also Romeo and Juliet, some poetry by Emily Dickinson, and The Catcher

in the Rye. There are links to get all of these books in the video info below. We’ll

begin with Romeo and Juliet next week. I’ll see you then.

Crash Course is produced and directed by Stan Muller. Our script supervisor is Meredith

Danko. The associate producer is Danica Johnson. The show is written by me. And our graphics

team is Thought Bubble. If you have questions about today’s video,

you can leave them in comments where they will be answered by our team of experts. And

if you haven’t already, read Romeo and Juliet. It’s a very good play, although at times

derivative of West Side Story. Thanks for watching Crash Course. And as we

say in my hometown, don’t forget to be awesome.