Classic Continued…

According to Tracy when we pick up a classic the classic raises up to the reader what he calls “the subject matter.” Your initial response might be “well no duh…of course!” But for Tracy “subject matter” is a very specific sort of material.

When you and I pick up a classic the plot, storyline, tensions, character development, etc….all arise into my reader world. At that stage I am not looking for a character with which I might identify so I can now mimic their movements or responses, or write down quips and quotes from that character that I might then place on index cards to memorize as I am shaving in the morning. The “subject matter” of the classic isn’t handled that way. In fact we intuitively handle it very differently than that. We realize that the questions being asked, the plot, storyline etc… may or may not have any analogous connection to my world. But the characters wrestling, questioning, analysis or agonizing all have a way of getting inside of me as the reader and asking me to think about the questions I am asking, the ways I am wrestling, the viewing angles I am taking on my own plot, storyline and character development.

On one hand this process is far more complex, intuitive and even subversive when compared to the mimic model we have been discussing. On the other hand this isn’t as neat, controllable and package-able. Principles don’t just jump out of “subject matter” and say “apply me!”

I remember my first great books experience. In 5th grade we were given age appropriate versions of Adler’s great books and we read the stories and then had a gifted adult facilitator engage a Socratic method for extracting from us themes, thesis, plot, sweep, and scope. The subject matter yields to that sort of observation and conversation. Not as easily to principle extraction.

How would you read Jonah differently as a short story…forgetting for a moment that it is inspired?