Writing dialogue, rather than a formal treatise, to make a point or educate the reader is certainly effective. It's easier to read, allows for questions rather than just statements, and makes the reader think more. This style of writing allows for characters and personalities to develop that wouldn't otherwise, and I think this can add a lot to the writing. I think there can be a major problem with this style of writing, though. Because of the distinct characters that arise, the author can use them to sway the readers' opinions.
The author can express his point of view through a character that's intelligent, virtuous (whatever that means,) and overall likable. The opposing viewpoint can be expressed through a character that's the exact opposite. Of course, the reader will probably side with the likable character, and thereby the author. The viewpoint the author disagrees with will probably be seen as having all the negative traits that the respective character had.
I think that this manipulation of the readers' opinions is very clear in Meno. Meno is arrogant, bossy, pretentious, and ignorant, whereas Socrates is calm, cool, and wise. Meno's opinions are easily refuted by Socrates, and Meno is rarely, if ever, right. However, because this is a balanced discussion, with neither Socrates nor Meno understanding "virtue," I think this opinion-warping is less relevant than it would be in a discussion of two distinct opinions. Either way, in the case of Meno, even if it's present, this attempt to warp readers' opinions doesn't detract from the text. In other works, though, I'm sure that it could have a very negative effect on understanding the reading, and forming independent opinions about it.
-Mr. Small
I agree with you, Mr. Small, when you say that writing dialogues can be good and bad. I believe they are good because my interest is kept and I pay attention more when I have characters to put with the words. It almost gives the text "a face". When it is a dialogue I am reading, I tend to think about how the people speaking are. I think of where they were when they were speaking, what they look like, and other little, mainly unimportant, things. Also, when there are characters it is easier to agree with one person over another. However, this can also be a bad thing. How a character speaks can act as a bias when you are reading because you decide who you agree with more and stick with that.
ReplyDeleteBesides the point, how do you not know what virtue is??
;)
just kidding.
Isn't the same power to warp present in all writing simply by the careful selection of language? By describing a view in unsympathetic terms that are not too obvious to the reader, you can do the same thing, can't you? I'm not sure if any kind of writing is more honest or neutral than dialogue...
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Mr. Davis, but I think that in dialogue we can actually form some kind of an emotional connection to the character, and opinion, that we can't form with a simple viewpoint. I think this emotional connection is the real danger.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Mr. Davis, that all writing can fall into this trap, and I would go so far as to say that all writing (with the exception of some news and dictionary entries) does fall into this trap, even if the author had no intention of it. An author that has an emotional tie to what they are writing, like Plato could have to Socrates' dialogues, is bound to color it with their own opinions.
ReplyDelete-Mr. Stonick
Mr. Small, I think you have a valid point. At the same time, you must consider the writing form of say, an essay. When writing an essay, the sole purpose is to state the authors opinion and, in some cases, sway the reader one way or another. It is very easy to get sucked into the writing and say you agree or disagree, especially if the author is very convincing. However, if the same essay were written in dialogue form it is very easy to put yourself in that situation, to hear both sides of the argument, and be able to form your own opinions from there. In any sense, it is very easy for an author to put his or her opinion in any style of writing in order to sway the reader... after all, isn't that the purpose, in most cases at least?
ReplyDelete