Throughout his novel, "Better Living Through Criticism", A.O. Scott explores the complexities of taste, beauty, and criticism. Early on, Scott asserts that "If [we] know anything, surely [we] know what [we] like" (43). However, as I progressed in the reading, I became less sure of this simple fact and began to question if my likes, or dislikes, truly represent my character, leading me to explore the effects of individuality on my generation in my commonplace book.
I find this question to be heavily related to my age and generation. As Scott puts it, "Our age does not feel comfortable with the idea of subjective universality" (54). This idea is rampant in the social circles I observe; it is almost as if the desire to be different overpowers one's true likes. We all strive to wear the most alternative band tee-shirts, like the most obscure movies, and simply make others feel out of the loop. From my perspective, the yearn for individuality has surpassed the age-old desire to fit in that ruled the social lives of generations before us. Should we congratulate ourselves for living in a time where we primarily value diversity or mourn the times where there were universal likes and standards? While I consider myself to be a large supporter of diversity, I mean, anyone who isn’t to a certain degree would surely be criticized in this current time of acceptance, we must notice how this yearn for individuality is dangerous in a sense. Each time we search for something new and different, we make it even harder to unite with people over common interests. In the future, will this translate to overarching social and political struggles? Will we fail to reach common ground and make reform? These are all fair questions to ask, and it’s crucial to consider whether or not our drive for extreme individuality is worth the potential struggles that could lay ahead. However, this drive for individuality could also be a good thing. While it certainly skews our likes, dislikes, and overall tastes, it simultaneously pushes us to have more fulfilling life paths, careers, and futures if we don’t fully subject ourselves to criticism. When encouraging us to essentially soul search, Scott affirms that “Going into yourself and finding the deepest sources of your life may not resemble what the rest of the world thinks of as work or education. It looks more like idleness and solipsism, but such accusations fuel the sense of specialness” (74-75). I feel like many young people feel as if they have a calling, but they fail to pursue it because of fear of failure and judgment. However, Scott is refuting this and basically encouraging us to go out and accomplish whatever we want regardless of how different it makes us. I think that these passages from “Better Living Through Criticism” will guide us to become critics, deep readers, and philosophers of texts throughout our senior year. While this text was challenging to understand, it certainly caused me to grow as a reader, see beyond the literal meaning, and truly immerse myself in something powerful.
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AuthorHi, my name is Perrin Kendall and I'm a senior at The Galloway School. This is my AP Lit blog where I will be conceptualizing, synthesizing, and sharing my own thoughts about various readings. Archives
December 2019
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