Mehanovic Week Three Reflection

To disagree with BAL’s assertion that narrative analysis is tied to culture would be difficult and wrong. Time and time again, when we discuss literature (anything fictional in particular or moral driven), many critique a piece or pieces through a cultural (westernized) lens. Our class discussions for the past few nights serve as a great example. Although we recognize the relevance of other cultures and customs during our discussions, we can’t help but understand and analyze through our primary cultural means. As Bal argues, we do frame our world, the many world/worlds of narratives through culture, and for reasons known and unknown, the argument makes sense. I guess there is just something about culture that as Bal suggests “makes the process of interpretation of more general interest, turns narrative analysis into an activity of ‘cultural analysis’” (11). Culture is our way of making a text, a story, an event, a narrative, etc. personalized. Only when we relate to a piece can we truly understand it (from my experiences, this proves true anyway).

            Literature (what I would have called stories in the past) of any kind, regardless of era as far as I know always offers an outlook from a particular era of history and evaluates and places our culture within that time frame. Clear as mud – right? Simply put, what I am trying to say is that I appreciate literature (fiction for the most part) because these works represent our culture – that connection many look to connect to as Bal argues. I really thought that I would have more to say on culture and narratives, but what it really boils down to that cultural analysis/narrative analysis is a connection or appreciation. Further, Bal emphasizes that interpretation of literature of narratives is subjective; this subjectivity is only available in a few places, and among those few places are literature and culture. Culture is grounded and represented in narratives, and as such, we (as Bal declares) will understand literary narrative works through that culture’s lens or viewpoint or varied viewpoints.