It seems that the young people in my classes (young=17-20) are very hung up on plot. I find the same in my own classes. It is really hard to get them to think past plot. This is true also when you ask any person, young or old, about a movie. When I ask, "What did you think?" I get a plot summary. How can I work with this apparently quite natural predilection? How can I help my students be more comfortable with plot and then move briskly on to the much more interesting work of interpretation?
When I ask them about this, they say they just can't see the symbols or they don't see where alternative readings are coming from. I suspect it is lack of background and experience. The don't have the discrete points available to make connections. What I need to do is use the lecture to set up the points, and then use the discussion to make the connections. Easy enough to say, but tricky in practice.
1 comment:
I guess you are referring to a person's singular experience and background?
Sometimes your interpretation of the movies we have discussed go way beyond worldly experiences. Please take that as a compliment. Background and experience, if accessed only from their conscious levels, renders a small pivotal point than when one refers to their full awareness. That takes time and perhaps, something to trigger that action.
So...backtracking to a comment that I made earlier here, your student's receive a better education from you than most will recognize...at least for a little while. ;~)
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