Jacques Derrida: A Response
Mr. Derrida,
No man is an island, entire of himself, and each poet, whether mundane or laureate, likewise bound to his fellows. For you, Sir, who stressed so much the importance of this unity, this fellowship and love, I have only the utmost respect. I hope only that I have the breath sufficient to do you proper justice in this response.
Criticism and deconstruction, the close analysis of any literary work will inevitably breed questions, musings and ponderings. Some amount to light-hearted discussion, others to more heated affairs, but always it is important to observe this idea of love, that there is a shared imagination between two writers, a sense of affinity; all criticism, while it might refute a presented idea, need not be disparaging its author.
This has been particularly valuable to me, and was itself a hard lessoned learned. My own adolescent writings were often things I viewed as ideal, possessing their own unsullied uniqueness, and I rarely took criticism with any kind consideration. This is the trap involved in deconstructing another’s work; unless both individuals are open to the idea, feeling themselves to be in a free forum, only resentment will come of the discussion. Yet, you have worked diligently to demonstrate this open forum, where many individuals can exchange their ideas; there will certainly be points of contention and disagreement, but through patience and temperance, this forum becomes the very instrument for beautiful, refined ideas.
Thank you, Jacques, for being so patient to see this fact, and I do hope that others will read your words and find in them this same truth, that while I observe the man next to me as different, I can still respect him for that very fact.
No man is an island, entire of himself, and each poet, whether mundane or laureate, likewise bound to his fellows. For you, Sir, who stressed so much the importance of this unity, this fellowship and love, I have only the utmost respect. I hope only that I have the breath sufficient to do you proper justice in this response.
Criticism and deconstruction, the close analysis of any literary work will inevitably breed questions, musings and ponderings. Some amount to light-hearted discussion, others to more heated affairs, but always it is important to observe this idea of love, that there is a shared imagination between two writers, a sense of affinity; all criticism, while it might refute a presented idea, need not be disparaging its author.
This has been particularly valuable to me, and was itself a hard lessoned learned. My own adolescent writings were often things I viewed as ideal, possessing their own unsullied uniqueness, and I rarely took criticism with any kind consideration. This is the trap involved in deconstructing another’s work; unless both individuals are open to the idea, feeling themselves to be in a free forum, only resentment will come of the discussion. Yet, you have worked diligently to demonstrate this open forum, where many individuals can exchange their ideas; there will certainly be points of contention and disagreement, but through patience and temperance, this forum becomes the very instrument for beautiful, refined ideas.
Thank you, Jacques, for being so patient to see this fact, and I do hope that others will read your words and find in them this same truth, that while I observe the man next to me as different, I can still respect him for that very fact.
posted by David Humes at 7:27 PM
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