"The commonplace stands by itself. For this writer, it does not need to be elaborated. By virtue of having written it, he has completed the essay and established the contact by which we may
be spoken to as equals: "In whatever form creativity takes, whether it be music, art, or science, it is an important aspect of our lives because it enables us to be individuals."
Page 519, Inventing the University,David Bartholomae
Here the author is telling us that the way we write about the things we have in common, those
things in our lives that we all share, serve as a point of separation when we enter college. The author David Bartholomae, uses example of essays written by freshman to demonstrate the differences in academic discourses used in the essays and how the essays were used to locate the more advanced students. For the academic discourse language used in the essays had been learned in High School.
For me, the quote shows the need to establish a writing style that gives you the ability to communicate to teachers in a language that is creative and unique. I must develop a new style of writing and begin to write in the language of higher learning which is the academic discourse of the University. In this language I hope to be creative!
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I disagree. I feel that reading that quote, about the commonplace, they aren't referring to a common experience. I think that again it is referring to the language being used. The commonplace is the balance between basic language and the specialized language. They do use a college student as an example but not to demonstrate a state we have all been in, but more to show the basic language everyone starts at, and the many attempts we use to sound smart.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the essay written about the Clay Model, I got multiple flashbacks to my many attempts to wow teachers and adults with writing. That was the part of this writing I connected to the most. That part, or that writer, was the one that I could most easily find my commonplace with.