Ezra Elisha A.

Gatdula III BSE

Ms. Nimfa Lauresta

Can you develop first on your own then with your classmates an interpretation of a particular text?
Yes, for me or for us, The meaning does not reside in the text or in the author's intentions. The meaning happens as the
text is read and reflected upon. The knowledge of the author's world and intentions, and of the responses of other
readers, can help one read a text betterwith more insight and satisfaction.

Can you identify your identity theme as you develop your personal interpretation of the text?
Huck struggles with his identity as a white person and his identity as a human being. Huck's internal values tells him that
Jim is an amazing guy who deserves his respect but society demands that he look down on Jim. As for me, I dont seek
my identity as a human being but like Huck, sometimes I look down on the less-fortunate for the reason that some of
them dont do anything to make their life comfortable.

Can you state the difference between your response to a text and your own interpretation?
Interpretation includes a number of different things readers do. Most commonly, people think that to interpet is to
decode meanings hidden in the writing by the author. The question asked is, "What did the author really mean?" This
question shows a simplistic understanding of what imaginative writing is and how literature works. On the other hand,
your response to a text is merely your reaction towards a certain piece of text. I could say, its just a feeling and you
dont really need to delve deeper just to understand it.

In a classroom setting, develop your class interpretative strategies for arriving at the meaning of a text.
We can make use of different approaches like Psychoanalytic and Feminisism. But in Huckleberry, I think the most
appropriate approach to use is Cultural criticism wherein it questions traditional value hierarchies and takes a cross-
disciplinary approach to works traditionally marginalized by the aesthetic ideology of white European males. Instead of
more attention to the canon, cultural studies examines works by minority ethnic groups and postcolonial writers, and
the products of folk, urban, and mass culture.