I think ambiguity plays a major role in the reading experience, because aside from the concrete text that is already present, it allows room for the reader to come up with their own interpretation. There is no question to what a text means if it is represented clearly and/or explicitly mentioned within itself. More often than not, the reader is able to take away from the text what they wish; a text can hold more than one truth. Every interpretation is inherently correct, because of the gaps that ambiguity spawn and allow to be filled.
Ambiguity allows literature to be more interesting and inclusive for all people. I believe art of all mediums, whether it be literature, music, painting, etc., can be deemed inclusive because of its ambiguous nature and can appeal to people of all backgrounds or beliefs. Take for instance, the infamous smile of Mona Lisa. Viewers tend to see her facial expression differently and debate whether she is smiling or frowning. For some, though, her expression changes back and forth from time to time. Those two expressions are obviously opposite and some say that what the viewer sees corresponds with their own emotions at the time. I think that that is what is so unique about all types of art. Some art may mean nothing to one viewer or reader, whereas for someone else, it can resonate deeply with them and impact how they feel. This power of ambiguity allows art to attract a wider audience and to be appreciated by many.
Ambiguity is the art of interpretation and varies among all audiences. For example, in Latin, we studied the Allegory of the Cave. In which men were locked in a cave only seeing their shadows. What if they were even locked in there or even in a cave at all. Maybe they were stuck in their own reality, tied down to their ego. That story really brought the ambiguity lens to life for me, looking for all of the interpretations of the story, and to everyone in the class, it was different. With the art of ambiguity, you can see a story from all different perspectives, but that's what makes each and every story special.
ReplyDeleteAmbiguity is present in all artistic mediums, but I believe that sometimes this ambiguity can remove some potential value from a text. Leaving a work too ambiguous can prevent the examiner from making leaps that lead to genuine insight and leave the text as something from which nothing can be gleaned. Ambiguity in art is like salt on food, without any the dish remains bland, a little bit can accentuate the flavors and bring the whole meal together, but too much can outright ruin the meal and even become toxic. Ambiguity should be wielded with tight discretion in this regard.
ReplyDeleteThe reference to the Mona Lisa is a very great example for Ambiguity. It generally has no meaning we are aware of and the true emotion of Mona Lisa is unknown, but seeing others views of what she may be expressing is always interesting. I think this example shows that everyone has differing opinions and creative liberty with any art, no matter if its a painting or literature. Not everyone sees it the same and can tell a whole new meaning to others who think more complex on the matter. I also think Ambiguity is a clever way for the author to attract more attention to their work, not it be a selling tacit, but more of a purposeful action that shows them what others might personally think of their work.
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