Today in english class we had to make a presentation about the books we've read in summer, mine was Looking for Alaska by John Green, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Just so you know this post about my presentation ideas is a homework that Jon had assigned to us HEHE.
So we got this question for our presentation and turns out i have to post my answer here (I guess cause that's what i typed in my memo) so yea the question is -->"How could the novel (the novel i've read back in the summer) could be understood differently if it was read in a different culture or different time?"
Well I guess people have different aspect, experienced and information about some things. Like in The Catcher in the Rye where the main character in the book is a rebel, he's desperate for some you know what, and he keeps on failing his subjects. For some readers including me, would feel awkward cause we've never experienced those things and I would think like "why would you do that i mean isn't that inappropriate you're just what 16 or 17 why would you do that?" while for others who've experienced it would be like, "it's not a big deal and stop exaggerating" so yea the novel could be understood differently in different culture.
Also, in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, that book is supper old, it's like 10 times my age. The story was about the main character has this 'A' sign in her chest and it's a sign that she did an adulterous affair and conceives a child. It's similar to the movie The Easy A, starring Emma Stone. I think this book could be understood by readers from any generation (even though at times, this book is hard to read). Why did I say that? Because this book represents how society was back then, it also has universal appeal also the themes it's easy for people to understand and relate to the story (OKAY maybe adults can relate it to it). The book is full of emotion from love to hate to judgement to death and even to faith and dignity. And I guess for this book it could be understood differently if the people was reading it in a different time, such as if the book was published in the year where society was all like man do the works and woman stays at home and do chores then had an affair with someone else, they'll probably be ashamed and humiliated but you know i might be wrong as well, it's just my opinion and who am i anyway i'm just an asian student doing my homework hashtag swaggie.
Last but not least, Looking for Alaska I think this book could be understood differently because you know they have this scene where they planned this huge pranks on the teachers where they brought a small politician to come and 'lecture' them. Turns out the small politician was a stripper. I guess some readers would think the things that they weren't supposed to think, you get it? They sort of misunderstood I mean take the idea in a wrong way, like pranking is not part of their culture or habit or anything but for some so they might take the pranking scene too extreme since their too innocent, i guess idk.
But then again this is just an opinion of mine and it might be wrong cause i'm not that sure with my answers, so so sorry if there's any mistake hehehehe.
okay bye!
Erica
