For this blog I thought I would talk about the Reading With the Grain and Against the Grain technique. I found this section of the chapter really interesting. To read with the grain is to be an "empathetic learner" and see what the author wants you to see. You have to look at the writing through the author's eyes and adopt their beliefs and values. Using this technique you support the author's thesis with your own examples. You can take what the author states and apply the information in new ways, so it makes sense to you, as the reader. This strategy can help you develop a strong response to the text.
The other way of reading a text is reading it against the grain. To do you must question and argue the author's ideas. You have to have the total opposite way of thinking and become a resistant reader. The reader must read the text and and see different things that the writer isn't trying to show to you. You can raise points that the author didn't use to go against the writer. This will help you create a very strong response because you will challenge the author's reasoning, sources, examples, etc, and provide alternative ones.
This strategy will help the reader interact with the text that is provided. It is very similar to the believing and doubting game that we learned about already. It makes you see both sides of the text, rather than reading and just analyzing it with one view.
2 comments:
I agree with the idea of reading against the grain being a beneficial exercise. The idea that the reader has to "interact" with the text instead of just reading it, probably will make the level of comprehension higher than it would be reading with the grain. You also made a good point when you stated that reading with the grain isn't just reading, but being empathic and seeing what the author sees.
I also agree with reading with and against the grain and it being really helpful. It's an interesting, helpful way at reading a piece and reading it critically. It helps to comprehend what the writer's saying and trying to get across. I'm going to also agree and say that you made a good point when you said that reading with the grain is more than reading but seeing the author's point of view.
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