Phenomenological readings (was: Re: Theoretical boundaries)

[nrenka]

No: HPFGUIDX 120545


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "delwynmarch" 
<delwynmarch at y...> wrote:

> Nora signed:
> "Nora finds that in analyzing music, emotional responses often lead 
> to uncovering the analytically most interesting parts, and is now 
> tempted to use Lewin's phenomenological language to talk about fans"
> 
> Del replies:
> Sure, but you'll have to explain all the big words first ;-)

A facetious comment on my part, for sure, but if I had more time and 
a copy of the original to hand, it might be fun, although Lewin's 
work is, well...there's that article I've read 8 times and still 
don't get all of. :)  Lewin's model is built for music, but it 
provides a technical way to talk about something rather difficult: 
our changing perceptions of a work.  That's what 
the 'phenomenological' part is about: the process of perception.

So, to apply it to the books, think about labeling an incident as 
such (an event, EVT), then considering the possible implications 
(IMP).  Events can often point to multiple possible realizations, 
after all, and thus invoke expectations.  (Expectations are also 
almost ALWAYS caught up with a visceral emotional response to a 
character: if you feel more positively about Snape, you expect 
different things from his character arc.  Reality can be gratifying 
or disappointing, in this sense.)  The event is then usually 
followed, sometimes at length, by a realization--which means that in 
retrospect, only one (usually) of those expectations proves to be 
correct.

Thinking phenomenologically in Lewin's sense is something like 
working through a hypothetical reader's position at each point in the 
text.  Reaction to event, consideration of different hermeneutic 
shadings for each possible realization (this all runs in something 
like a straight line, the linear experience of the text), and then 
with the arrival of the realization, the reader (originally a 
listener) is forced to go back and read/hear one possibility as *now* 
being actual reality.  [Lewin applied this to a beautiful little 
Schubert song, pointing out how functional hearings of the chords are 
continually changing--and that having to change is a fundamental part 
of the experience and affect of the song.  It's intentionally 
hilarious in applying the apparatus to a little Lied...]

What makes this model interesting is how it lets one see into the 
process of reading the books and how we re-evaluate things.  It's 
interesting to read PoA, with Snape's strongly implied insistence 
that Black is not deserving of mercy/a second chance, and then hit 
GoF, with the revelation of Snape's own second chance.  Or Dumbledore 
and our changing position of his knowledge throughout the books.

-Nora notes that this game is more doable when all is said and done, 
though