(Re)Making Language; Intro

Gothic fiction was the genre of Frankenstein but it was also the genre of the 1700s after the Enlightenment where Western interests were changed to become more about the relationships between the human body parts. Many people were able to learn how to read and write and ideas circulated because of this. Enlightenment ideas of individuality and emotions led to experiments with horror and corruption with the mind. The nameless monster in Frankenstein learns language by observing another human speaking of the history of humanity. The monster learns of humanity’s good and bad sides and is puzzled yet also intrigued by this. He also learns of war and the concept of hurting another person. Through his thought process, he learns to create language and considers himself through language as well. He now values communication and language with other people but realizes he is an outcast because he is a monster. With the knowledge the monster has gained, he has also gained the understanding and effect of emotion both negative and positive.

Language, Discourse, and Literacy

Language is an interaction recognized by a community rather than a focus on grammar. It is also a tool that is used to boost cooperation and stimulate production/development in a society. Language is evolving constantly due to the people that use it and the developing generations. When a group shares a language it is known as a discourse or discourse community. Literacy is the knowledge of a discourse meaning the ability to use language that is used in any discourse. There are also multiple types of literacies that refer to understandings of a literacy practice. Literacy is also how people use different legal writing systems whether it be fiction or even religious writing. It can also change ideology that is followed by society.

Response

Frankenstein is a great example of how the time period affected the writing of the time and how language can be developed without being taught. It shows how even though the monster wasn’t taught, he was able to observe and process information while creating opinions and his own realizations. I agree completely that it takes understanding of knowledge to then develop a reaction from one’s own emotions. I also agree that literacy depends on how a large group perceives it and thus it can give rise to stereotypes and specific connotations of ideas in society.

(re)Making Language

The text talks about how language can be seen and used within texts to inform the readers. The language within many texts is a way for people to gain information that they previously didn’t know. In turn, some of the new information has impact on what readers now think in relation to themselves. The example provided in the introduction, is about a clueless Frankenstein, who wanted to learn about the world in order to get a better understanding of himself as well as the world he arrived to. However, he soon learns about the many terrors of the world, for example the concept of people killing their own kind. He was informed and confused about the concept of murder and the laws that associate with them. Due to his new knowledge, it had an impact on Frankenstein as he starts to question his existence, as a monster who was different from the rest of society. The purpose of the passage is to show how information provided in texts can affect the views or thoughts that someone might have about themselves or about the world around them. Language is an important was for one to communicate and argue on various topics that are presented in everyday life.

Language, Discourse and Literacy

The concept of language refers to the exchange of ideas and beliefs amount people. It is a form that people use in order to communicate ideas with others, which can come in multiple of ways. Things such as images, actions, code, and more are all used to convey an idea or belief to the viewer. A discourse community, refers to groups that shares common ideas and beliefs. Social groups are examples of this type of community, as things such as race, social class, political beliefs, etc. are all factors that people have a common connection. There is also literacy, which is often a written form of language that explains certain ideas, through many different forms. The types of writing depends on what the author is trying to focus on in terms of a topic, and that topic itself can be interpreted in many different ways. The way that an author writes has an impact on how people think about certain topics and ideas.

Summary

Language is used everyday, and yet people often forget just how important language is. It allows for the expansion of ideas as people with different mindsets have different views than others in regards to the same topic. The connections between people develops mainly due to language playing a big role in the connection and the awareness of ideas. It also has a major impact on how people view themselves,  as language allows to how the different factors in society are different to the factors that defines yourselves. This allows for people to become more aware about themselves, about who they are and what ideas and opinions that you support. Language allows for people to define themselves, to show how the stereotypes that others may have on you are not necessarily what describes the real you.

Introduction to (re)Making Language Summary

Language is an incredibly important tool to learn and communicate with other people. Graves uses the story of Frankenstein as an example of how language can be misinterpreted. Frankenstein came into the world with no knowledge of any language and only wanted to be accepted by society. However, the first stories that Frankenstein heard were mean and made him feel disgusted at himself. It was after he heard the stories he called himself a monster compared to other people. Since Frankenstein only heard the words of hatred and did not have anyone to communicate his feelings with, it influenced him to eventually kill his creator’s family. This shows that the words used to communicate with others are a major part of affecting how someone is feeling.

Language, Discourse, and Literacy Summary 

According to linguist James Paul Gee, “Language is a misleading term; it too often suggests ‘grammar.'” Language is so much more than the technical meaning; it is the way people speak and learn from each other. Language is always evolving; teenagers in today’s society don’t talk like teenagers in the 1950s. However, a discourse community uses the same type of language to communicate with each other because everyone has a common interest, whether it is the health industry or users on Reddit. Literacy is also adaptable. In the 1970s, literacy referenced the ability to read or write. In modern times, literacy is divided into different sections, such as digital literacy, rhetorical literacy, and cultural literacy where people can participate in the literary practices of a discourse community. Literacy can also influence ideology because people who want to become American citizens have to first take an exam about American history to show their understanding.

Response

After reading these two texts, I’ve realized that the ability to communicate effectively with other people is extremely critical in today’s society. Otherwise, the person on the receiving end might get the wrong idea. I am guilty of thinking that language is often just grammar because that was the way I was taught in grade school. I also never really thought about how language has changed over the decades.

(re)Making Language

In this writing, Seth Graves references a classic novel, Frankenstein to describe the sort of enlightenment we get when we learn of something. Graves uses an example from Frankenstein to explain this sort of thinking. The unnamed monster acquired knowledge from overhearing the instruction of a human and becomes enraged when he learned that humans were willing to take the lives of others. Similarly, when we learn something, we might have the same reaction when something we respect turned out to be something dreadful and disgusting. Next, Graves brings up the question of a person’s role in the world. The unnamed monster had a similar reflection on itself and realized how lonely he was. Graves explains that knowledge broadens our receptivity to emotion and not all knowledge is pleasing to hear. Thus, like Frankenstein’s monster, by acquiring new knowledge, it opens us to more expressions and meaning in our lives.

Language, Discourse, and Literacy

This reading starts off by saying that language is a misleading term and is too often suggests “grammar”. Graves points out that language also consists of symbols, images, and gestures. Discourse communities is a group that shares a common set of languages and can be defined in many ways ranging from social groups to the web forum Reddit. Literacy is also another word that was defined as the ability to read and write a given language. However, due to the broadened definition, Graves explains that literacy refers to one’s knowledge of a discourse and also includes the ability to use language within a specific discursive space. Graves also points out that literacy is connected to how people use texts, so our participation in social groups may be affected by the kind of literacy we possess.

Response

From these readings, I learned that language is a much broader term and can include a variety of communication. The way we perceive things can make us think a different way than we are used to. This helped me realize that language plays a big role in our everyday lives and could also help us better understand society. Also, our acquisition of knowledge can alter the thinking we have due to our emotions on the regarding subject. Thus, we are able to find who we are if we look close enough to who we are.

(re)Making Language by Seth Graves

Language is a powerful tool that helps connect us with the people around us while helping us find words to describe ourselves, our situations, our ideologies, or our thoughts. In this article, Seth Graves uses the popular Gothic fiction novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley as a metaphor of how the power of language can help shape our thoughts and feelings. Originally, Frankenstein was an empty shell, a newly created life form that had no opinions of its own. However, he first acquires knowledge by overhearing a conversation about human history and how many lives were sacrificed for the sake of war. Through language, he was able to obtain this new information and started to form his own thoughts on the matter. He was able to develop his own opinion against war due to him being appalled by the ability of one human to kill another. He then began to question the role of his existence within this human world as a monster. As a result, he was able to realize how lonely he felt and how much the weight of the ability to communicate to another living being had on people.

Language, Discourse, and Literacy by Seth Graves

Language is an abstract term used to describe the skill that humans have acquired over time to be able to communicate with one another in a specific community or setting. It is a flexible term that could be used to describe a wide variety of interactions between different people. Obviously, when one thinks of languages, one would normally think of the different mother tongues used in different countries or areas of the world. However, the idea of “language” can actually extend farther than that to include body language/gestures, computer codes, emojis, or even musical notes. When a group of people share a common language, it is called a discourse community. This could stretch from people of different nationalities to people of different professions to people who share the same hobbies. Literacy is one’s knowledge and understanding of a specific type of discourse within a community. Traditionally, it was defined as the ability to read and write in a certain language. However, it evolved into a broader term used to describe one’s understanding within a specific discursive space. There are also multiple types of literacies such as rhetorical literacy, cultural literacy, and digital literacy. These different types of literacies also play a big part in shaping our ideologies because the more people understand and communicate within a certain discursive community, the more they will be able to relate to/understand and form their own opinions branching off from the knowledge acquired within the discursive community.

Response

Both language and literacy play a big part in shaping our thoughts, ideas, and ideologies of the world around us. With language, we are able to exercise the ability to communicate with and understand the people in our everyday lives. It is a tool used to universally connect us and help us develop our thoughts and feelings by sharing and discussing them with others. With literacy, one is able to understand what is being said within a specific discourse community. Being literate will therefore help them relate to the different conversation topics discussed within the community. Overall, both language and literacy are a vital part of human life as a way of connecting with other people and voicing our own thoughts.