Response to Orality and Literacy

In the beginning of the first chapter, the idea of language is very different from other readings we have had. In the reading, it talks about how language is not made up of letters and symbols, but of sounds and pronunciation. This seems to be so different from reading about writing technologies because now I am seeing the counterpart to writing.

Another interesting tidbit in the reading today was this quote on page 7.

“The basic orality of a language is permanent.”

In classes before, we were discussing the lasting power of handwritten or printed text. They say that some spoken languages today are not even written because they have not found a way to put the language on a tangible object. How can this be? I guess I never realized that there were still languages out there that did not have a written counterpart. I know now Latin is taught in schools without oral testing, but that is only because barely anybody speaks Latin in normal society. How can a society function in today’s world without a written language?

Another point about the quote above is that it was mentioned that the orality of a language does not mean the new age “computer” language. Well what does it mean? I suppose that it is true that the basic orality does not change, but I believe that the common vernacular is ever changing. The only time the true form of language comes out is in writing. However, basically the oral form of the language remains the same. Most of the basic words are still used, with the same meaning. Geographically pronunciations can differ and words can be used very differently, but people are still able to communicate orally, so I guess that is the main point.

In the second chapter, there was a section called “The Homeric Question.” Robert Wood is cited as claiming that he thinks that Homer was in fact illiterate. He was able to tell the stories of the Iliad and the Odyssey by memory. Wood says something about how memory played a very different role in orality then than it does in today’s world. Wood is not sure how Homer was able to memorize these epic novels, but he claims that he did so without having it written down.

I just keep thinking that people must have had a great memory thousands of years ago. How can some people remember these long stories without missing a heartbeat? I would be stumbling over the words, trying to remember exactly what was said. Then again, these stories change over generations and generations. It is just amazing to me that people can memorize these things. I have to write down simple three to five word reminders on post-its just so I remember them.

In the fourth chapter, when I came across the title of it, I simply read over it without truly comprehending it, but then I read over it again and realized how powerful it was without having read the chapter yet.

“Writing Restructures Conciousness”

This is similar to what I have talked about in a past blog about how we are able to get our true feelings out without leaving bits and parts of the point out. I truly believe that even in personal writing people have to think whether or not they want to actually write down what they are thinking.