Implied Author: the implied author stands in the shadow of the narrative voice and expresses ideology and worldview.
In modern society fear is generally considered a negative emotion that serves you bad should you indulge in it. You must not show fear or hesitation as it is perceived as a weakness and flaw in your character. Essentially, you will be looked down upon should you display too much indecisiveness. As a worst case scenario, you will not only be looked down upon but be stomped to the ground and surpassed by those who do not openly display their worries. However, fear is not all negative in its nature. Fear is actually an emotion which strengthens your character and encourages you to push yourself beyond the fear itself, because on the other side awaits a well deserved victory and it will not grant you a warm welcome unless you hold your head high upon arrival at its doorstep. Fear is something to overcome. If you do not overcome it, then it certainly will serve you bad. Nevertheless, you mustn’t admit defeat, but rather relish in the opportunity to take up the struggle against your fears. If you do not challenge yourself, you will never know for sure if you were able to come out victorious in the end.
Speculation: (added)
The text would have had a different attitude and effect on the reader had it been expressed by a different author function. Using the prophet as our first example, the general feel of the text would be of a more envisaging and spiritual nature. Taking the journalist/columnist next, the text would be less abstract and more precise (possibly with a case study or a metaphor symbolizing and illustrating the claim being made). At last, with the novelist’s point of view, there would be more to interpret regarding characterization and plot. In short, author function greatly determines the outcome of a text and the effect that the text makes upon the reader.
The last sentence is redundant and weak - cut it out! It is very tough to be the implied author, who, as you say, is at a deeper level than the narrator, or perhaps contradicts the narrator. I couldn't quite catch that in your text...
ReplyDeleteThe way I interpret it, the contradiction is in the middle. And, in my defense, while the last sentence is redundant and weak, I added it for the purpose of reaching the proper word count - as it was my understanding that we had to?
ReplyDeleteWell, I didn't mean to say that you had to reach exactly two hundred words, only that that was the restriction in terms of maximum length - sorry if that was ambiguous! Anyway, weak filler should always be cut - both in creative and academic writing...
ReplyDeleteAs a writer should strive to do when he or she edits - myself included. I do, however, disagree that it is a weak filler. The sentence might be cliché and worn down as it states an obvious and renowned fact, but I daresay that I don't think this necessarily makes the sentence weak or superfluous to the message of the text?
ReplyDeleteAs for the message of the text, I agree that the last sentence is an attempt at summation, which is a good thing. However, the particular sentence is not effective, burdened down as it is with the repetition of the word "overcome"and less than elegant syntax. Try to re-write it in a simpler form just to compare the effect...
ReplyDeleteAlright, so I would rewrite it as such: "Nevertheless, you mustn’t admit defeat, but rather relish in the opportunity to take up the struggle against your fears. If you do not challenge yourself, you will never know for sure if you were able to come out victorious in the end." The message is the same. It just comes in a prettier wrapping.
ReplyDeleteYes, same message - stronger writing!
ReplyDelete