SSR#1
Katie Gomulkiewicz
Word Art
SSR#1
February 1st 2016
Section I: Thesis
Citation:
Finkelstein, David, and Alistair McCleery. The Book History Reader. London: Routledge, 2002. Print.
Thesis: “Bibliography is the discipline that studies texts as recorded forms, and the processes of their transmission, including their production and reception” (29).
Restate the Thesis: The discipline of bibliography studies all texts as records with an attempt to understand the transfer, production, and reception of these documents.
Section II: Structure
Section I: The article begins with various definitions and assumptions about bibliography. Some of these assumptions are challenged and refuted. Other definitions are used as the lead up to the thesis of this specific article about bibliography which asserts that a bibliography is not just description and editing but the historical study of documents (27-29).
Section II: In this part of the article, the author begins to define the terms specific to his thesis surrounding bibliography. Specifically in this section the words “text” and “sociology” are examined to explain the phrase “a sociology of texts” which the author uses (29-30).
Section III: In this section the author compares and contrasts the traditional orthodox view of bibliography with the idea of “a sociology of texts” (30-31).
Section IV: In this section the focus of the article narrows down to discuss books and specifically how different parts of a book may “have an expressive function in conveying meaning” (31). The article uses the epigraph from “The Intentional Fallacy” to further delve into this discussion (31-33).
Section V: During the discussion of “The Intentional Fallacy” the author explains “the history of material objects of symbolic forms functions…in two ways. It can falsify certain readings; and it can demonstrate new ones” (34). This specific epigraph is then viewed with that premise in mind (34-35).
Section VI: The next part of the article discusses changes in printing in England that could have effected the meaning and form of various texts (35-37).
Section VII: This section ties back to the beginning discussion of the definition of bibliography. However, this section also expands upon the importance and use of the study of bibliography. This final explanation serves as the justification for bibliography and the closing of the article (37).
Section III: Rhetorical Strategies
Strategy I: Phrases such as “I am convinced” (27), “The problem is, I think” (28), and “as I see it” (30) allow for a firm but gentle refutation of previous ideas and assertion of a new argument.
Strategy II: “A sociology of texts” (30) was a new phrase that was coined by this author. The idea of coming up with a new phrase and then explaining it as a means of argument was very effective.
Strategy III: “In the pursuit of historical meanings, we move from the most minute feature of the material form of the book to questions of authorial, literary, and social context” (34). This part of the article provided the “so what” or a larger understanding of the implications of bibliography which allowed me as a reader to be more invested in the text.
“On my honor I have neither given nor received unauthorized information regarding this work, I have followed and will continue to observe all regulations regarding it, and I am unaware of any violation of the Honor Code by others.” Katherine Gomulkiewicz