Post your own original subtext definition. Skip a line and write
your analysis of your given quote. The format should look like this:
Definition.
Quote. - Author
Analysis of subtext (one paragraph).
Then,
comment on a peer's response. You may comment on how they helped you
understand their quote better OR disagree with their analysis and write a
brief (one-two liner) counter-analysis with your own idea of what the
author means. However, these are only suggestions.
Due: Wednesday January 30th
Note: If you need help digging out the subtext of your quote, please come see me.
Chris Gowens
ReplyDeleteSubtext is when the author hides a different meaning inside a phrase.
"It is easier to forgive an Enemy than to forgive a Friend"-Blake
What the author is trying to say is that when a friend hurts you, its harder to get over it. You expect your friend to stand by you and always be there, so it hurts more when they do something bad to you. The enemy is someone who you don't like, but its easy to forgive them since you know that you won't agree on things. It sends the message that your best friend could hurt you a million times worse than any enemy you could possibly think of.
Lisa Yang
DeleteI completely agree with you.
An enemy's actions and words may hurt, but if the same thing is done by somebody else that is close to you, it is even more painful. Not only does it hurt, but it leaves a scar on the relationship and can even damage a person's emotional and mental state of mind!
I agree. It is so hard to forgive a friend. You thought that they would always be there for you, and when you find out that they betrayed you it is an awful feeling. It is much harder to forgive someone that you are close to than to forgive someone that you aren't as invested in.
Delete^^^^^ Mary Leigh Rock
DeleteGreat insight! You're right - it's easier to forgive an enemy because you know they won't agree with you. Another thought is that it's easier to forgive the enemy because you aren't invested in them. Friends have much more power over us.
DeleteLisa and Mary Leigh - I love your comments. Thank you for putting effort into them! They lend even greater support to Chris' comment, and that is exactly what I want to see.
Lisa Yang
ReplyDeleteSubtext is what the person actually means, despite what he or she says. The true emotion and feeling is hidden beneath literal words.
"When boys and girls go out to play there is always someone left behind, and the boy who is left behind is no use to the girl who is left behind."
-Paul Potts
Whenever someone is left out of a group and sees somebody else placed in the same situation, a natural tendency is to try to talk with the other individual. On the contrary, in Pott's case, applying the gender roles, he is saying that girls can be very judgmental and hypocritical. If a boy is left out of the group of people that he hangs out with, then the girls will most likely think that he is automatically less attractive because he cannot keep his reputation up. Especially since young girls have not matured yet in elementary, their view on hypocrisy is not fully developed, and so they negatively judge other people who, in reality, are in the same place that they are in. The same situation can be applied to older people who have already matured. If a woman is suddenly left behind in a group, she probably will take the man that's abandoned out of the equation. Girls feel a sense of pride that results in raising their standards, and, instead, prefer to be talking to a guy who is obviously liked more. Even if the roles were reversed, things still would have played out the same way. It seems as if one of the flaws that many people possess is thinking that social status is the most important thing above all else.
Rachel Vulk
DeleteYou made some very interesting points with this quote. I agree that if a girl is left out of something, however awkward it may be for her to stand alone, she still won't want to look even worse by going and talking to the boy who got left behind. However, when you said that in elementary school girls will be more judgmental because they are less mature, I would have to disagree. I believe that at younger ages, children are more accepting than in middle and high school, because they are less worried about their reputations. Therefore, a girl who was left out would probably be more likely to go and talk to a boy who was also left out in elementary school.
Great definition of subtext! Now, Potts has given you a very specific statement - girls and boys during play time (recess). He isn't specifically talking about recess. Look past gender and age and dig into what he is saying about humans, instead. You have great insight into the nature of girls and the nature of boys; however, subtext is more insightful when we can apply it to mankind in general.
DeleteThis quote presents the idea that two people who are similar cannot challenge and propel each other forward. An unpopular kid who is friends with only unpopular kids will probably NOT become popular.
Two people who are on the same level (or who think the same way) cannot challenge each other or help each other to move ahead. People of different skills, talents, etc. need to be paired together/work together because they will help each other move forward.
Collin Staud
ReplyDeleteSubtext is the hidden value and meaning of a phrase of words, which can be upfront or mainly inferred from the literal concepts of the words.
"All the thoughts of a turtle are turtle."
- Emerson
Emerson leads an idea to describe the complex of simplistic beings such as the turtle. He is coherently saying that a turtle (as is) is only able to think about life's necessities as a turtle, and cannot branch out further than what it is. Compared to the lives of us, where we move beyond ourselves in every day life, the turtle is gifted with only the natural components that allow it to survive. For it to (in theory) think beyond itself is to suggest that it is evolved beyond survival basics. It suggests that the turtle drives a much more simple life. This can lead the reader to base that, since turtles are so simplistic, they need not live or think complexly, since they are, to say, [Stuck on one single path of life]. So, say Emerson rewrote the quote to instead read "All the thoughts of you are you". With this new concept in mind, more variety in response comes from the meaning. This in turn states that you only think like you, true beyond belief but not without argue. Some would branch out that we think beyond just ourselves, but, now compare this to the original quote. If a turtle is naturally made to only think like a turtle, what is to say that we are naturally made to think like us? This is life, we have survival basics like the turtle, but have a much more complex mentality. To compare and restate, we, like turtles, think "like turtles". We think like who we are, and push to say that there will always be the basic boundary and instinct underlying all of us, unlike turtles, who are limited to only themselves...
Shavonne Newsome
DeleteI really enjoyed your response. I didn't really understand the quote but you explained it very clearly. You have a nice range of vocabulary, also.
I'm a little confused on what you mean when you say "we move beyond ourselves." How? I like where you are going with this, and you have great structure in how you are organizing your analysis. However, your wording sometimes leaves me confused on what you are trying to say. You do a lot of talking about the turtle and little about how the quote transfers to mankind. Subtext is trying to find what Emerson is trying to say about humans (not the obvious object - turtles).
DeleteAll the thoughts of turtle are turtle. This could have many interpretations, a few of which you have hit on!
Thoughts of human beings only concern human beings - we often have issues trying to think outside of what we know or what relates to us. It's kind of a flaw in humans, don't you think? We're a bit limited and narcissistic.
Rachel Vulk
ReplyDeleteSubtext is the true meaning behind someone's words.
"It is easier to forgive an Enemy to forgive a Friend."
-Blake
This quote speaks of relationships between enemies and friends. The true meaning is that someone who is closer to you can hurt you more than someone who you do not like. This is because if there is an enemy in your life who has always treated you badly, you would expect them to continue to treat you badly. However, a friends is supposed to build you up and help you defend yourself against others, not be the one hurting you. This is why it is easier to forgive an enemy than a friend, because it is harder to let go the fact that someone close to you hurt you, rather than someone who you are used to hurting you.
Chris Gowens
DeleteHa I had this quote too! I pretty much said the same thing but I think you worded it better. Good job!
Roland Kalman
DeleteI agree with your statement. Friends is someone you trust and rely on. If your friend becomes hostile then it will hurt more than your enemy who has always hated you. It will also be hard to forgive them because you will feel betrayed and fell like you can't trust them.
Good Job with your explanation!
You are right on with your analysis. A friend's abuse is harder to take because we are more invested in them. For more insight, go read my comment on Chris' post! You both had great insight, though (:
DeleteRoland - exactly. Thanks for your input on this; it actually helps support Rachel's claim very well!
Roland Kalman
ReplyDeleteSubtext is the hidden meaning behind a piece of writing or in a conversation
"When boys and girls go out to play there is always someone left behind, and the boy who is left behind is no use to the girl who is left behind". -Paul Potts
This quote is talking about how when a girl is rejected out of a group or maybe even in a relationship, they don't want to talk to the rejected male. This is due to the fact that girls tend to have high standards. The rejected girl, even though she was rejected, still aims for the group that is more popular or the more popular men. She then views the rejected male as a person who is lower than her, even though in reality they are both equal. This is especially true in high school students and above, but not so much in elementary where everyone still tends to play together. In middle school, this starts to show as the kids get older. This quote is even true with men in most situations.
Rylee Wilks
DeleteI agree with you. Girls do tend to have high standards, even at an age as young as elementary level. They like to go for the males that are more popular and not the lower status just as you said. Typically, young children won't be as judgmental as older ones, but the thought process may still be there. I really like how you added that the quote also works with men and I believe that too.
Lauren Jones
DeleteI disagree. I think the quote means that the girl wants someone who will help her not be rejected by her peers. If the girl was friends or in a relationship with a boy inside a certain circle of friends, the boy could convince his friends that the rejected girl is actually cool and would be fun to hang out with. The rejected boy can not help her get into the group of friends she wants to be in.
For more insight on this quote, go see what I commented on Lisa's post! What I've said to her applies to your quote and subtext analysis.
DeleteRylee and Lauren: I love that you guys posed an agreement and disagreement!
Lauren, your last sentence really drives us a little further to a great point of subtext found in Potts' quote! Again, go see Lisa's post.
Rylee Wilks
ReplyDeleteSubtext is the hidden meaning behind a person's words, even if their actions say otherwise.
"All the thoughts of a turtle are turtle."
-Emerson
What Emerson is trying to say that the thoughts of a turtle can’t reach beyond its everyday necessities. All it has the capacity it has for thought is what it needs for survival and nothing beyond that. A turtle is not evolved enough to think beyond itself such as we humans are. In everyday life, we think beyond ourselves, whereas a turtle does not. A turtle thinks like it does because it was made to do so just as we think like we do because it is the way we were created.
Collin Staud
DeleteHey, I had this one too (great minds think alike). I love your to-the-point delivery. Your concisely stated information helped me better understand the point I was trying to get across. You have great argument progression.
Rylee, go see what I posted on Collin's response! It'll give you more insight into the quote if you want it.
DeleteTry to get beyond the turtle (the obvious subject) and work towards discovering what Emerson is trying to say about mankind!
Collin - your reply is great; thank you for pointing out the strengths of Rylee's post! I want to see more of this!
Shavonne Newsome
ReplyDeleteSubtext is the underlying message, meaning, or themes the author conveys not directly, but through concealed context. Subtext can be perceived in endless different ways through different interpretations.
"It's easier to forgive an Enemy than to forgive a Friend."-Blake
What this quote is saying, directly, is that forgiving a friend is not nearly as easy as forgiving an enemy. When you and a friend have an altercation, chances are they know how to push your buttons. A friend knows you well and is aware of what you like and dislike. When you are hurt by a friend, odds are they hurt you badly. When a close friend hurts you, you take it to heart and dwell on it. When an enemy makes an attempt to hurt you most of the time you just shrug it off as nothing. An enemy, for whatever reason they are your enemy, does not have your best interest in mind. So when they make a comment to you you do not think of it as something they truly meant, and that they just said it to insult you. Therefore, an enemy can be forgiven much more easily. The author is saying that when your friend hurts you it sings. A friend is someone you rely on. You take your advise when you need it and they take yours. A friend is someone who you care about dearly and, you hope, cares about you in the same way. When someone like that insults you purposely, you feel betrayed. And if they attempt to reconcile, you are usually hurt so badly that you don't feel it is sincere. That is what the author is trying to portray, I believe.
Alex Brooks
DeleteI completely agree with what your saying. A friend is some one that we do not expect to hurt us ,so when it happens it is more of a shock and it is harder to forgive them. We epect altercations from enemies so it is a normality when they are mean, making it easier to accept what they have done.
Billy Borders
DeleteI don't completely agree with this quote. Some people would actually like to stay in a negative relationship with their enemy just because they need something to take their anger out on. Other than that I think your analysis was good
Austin Eager
DeleteI don't think that forgiving either one is easier. When you are mad at a friend, it is hard to forgive them. This is because you're so close to them you almost feel like you shouldn't have to forgive them, and that they already know that you have. However, with an enemy, you feel too distant from the person and it doesn't feel right forgiving them.
For more insight on this quote, refer to my response to Chris' post!
DeleteYou made an excellent point that I didn't even consider - the point you made about friends being able to push your buttons because they know your likes and dislikes. Great job!!
Billy...interesting point. I don't know if I personally would ever want to maintain relationships with enemies! (:
DeleteAustin, I like your reply. It reminds us that not every subtext (author's message) is agreeable with everyone. It's completely appropriate to disagree with what the author says.
Darren Huang
ReplyDeleteSubtext is the meaning or message that the author is trying to show, but is not always directly said.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation." -Oscar Wilde
This quote is saying that humans are all similar to at least one other person on this world. It is saying how humans are very similar with one another. It says "their lives a mimicry" which is meaning that some people's lives are just like another. It also mentions how one person's passion can just be another person's quotation.
Paul Fuentez
DeleteI agree with you, all humans have at least some similarities and also differences. Also that some people like how the other people are so they can have a better life for themselves.
Try to analyze more into the subtext as opposed to restating the surface level, obvious information from the quote. Sure, Wilde is saying that we are similar to other people. But go deeper - what is he saying about mankind in general?
DeleteHe's saying something about the human condition; we are flawed in that originality is lost. Our world lacks "color" - a sense of individuality. Isn't this true in our society? We all (for the most part) wear the same clothes, listen to the same music, watch the same movies. Where are all of the weirdos? Where is the individuality and originality?
Alex Brooks
ReplyDeleteSubtext is the underlying meaning of a sentence,paragraph, or story.
"All the thoughts of a turtle are turtle." - Emerson
The quote is stating that evryones thoughts are molded out of what something/ someone is. As a human we think about things that only humans would think about. You do not find animals that think about grades or being married when they are older. You usually dont find humans that think they need to butt heads over a mate like rams do. It is a statement that is showing that we think about certain things because of what we are.
I agree. Turtles are turtles and they do not think of human things. All of the creatures are authentic and do what they were intended to do.
DeleteI definitely agree with what you said. Different animals think about different things like what they have to do for that day. Each animal is unique and no two animals think alike. We don't have the same thoughts that dogs or cats do because we are human.
DeleteAlex, for more insight into this quote, refer to my response to Collin's post! It's quite obvious that animals/turtles don't have human thoughts. What is the subtext? What is Emerson saying about humans in general?
DeleteThose of you who didn't post your name on the responses - I can't give you credit!
Anonymous January 30, 2013 at 5:37 PM
DeleteSteffi Sam
I definitely agree with what you said. Different animals think about different things like what they have to do for that day. Each animal is unique and no two animals think alike. We don't have the same thoughts that dogs or cats do because we are human.
Sarah Thompson
ReplyDeleteSubtext is the message of the sentence, paragraph, or story written by the author with a perhaps hidden or subtle meaning.
"These violent delights have violent ends. And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which as they kiss, consume." - William Shakespeare
This quote essentially is about love. That, if you jump in too fast and too deep, the violent delights (love) will have their violent ends. Don't shell it out to everyone and don't give yourself..your heart...away so easily. Keep it sweet and keep it slow. Allow yourself to FALL in love...not jump headforst or the entore relationship will run out of gas and fall apart very soon.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSarah, I'm not sure this is a quote I assigned to you. Did you choose this or was this written on the strip I handed out in class?
DeleteSteffi Sam
ReplyDeleteSubtext is when the author is implying something that isn't directly stated. It can also be the hidden meaning behind what the author is actually saying.
"When boys and girls go out to play there is always someone left behind, and the boy who is left behind is no use to the girl who is left behind." - Paul Potts
This quote is saying that when either a girl or a guy has been left out in a group, the girl won't really want to talk to the guy who has been rejected. Girls tend to have higher standards and they can be a little judgmental as well. They like to keep their reputations up and that might be why they don't really want to be seen talking to a guy who has been rejected. Even if a girl has been left out she won't want to be seen talking to a guy who was turned away like herself because she might feel even more helpless. Girls have higher standards and they don't want to bring their reputations down. They will keep their high standards even if it means being alone.
For more insight into this quote, refer to my response on Lisa's post!
DeleteLauren Jones
ReplyDeleteSubtext is information not directly stated that can be gathered from the text.
Dress is a very foolish thing, and yet it is a very foolish thing for a man not to be well dressed. –Lord Chesterfield
People judge others based on their appearance, and that is foolish. But because people are judged based on what they wear, they should dress in a way that creates a positive image. When somebody looks at a person for the first time, they are naturally going to judge them based on their external appearance. If a very intelligent man dresses sloppily, people will think he is not intelligent. But if he dresses well, people are more likely to respect and recognize his intelligence.
Thank you for editing well (:
DeleteLord Chesterfield is saying something very profound about our society. The purpose of clothes has moved from function to a social standard. Clothes are just material. A dress can't save lives. It can't love. Clothes are, essentially, meaningless. And yet today, in our society, things that are essentially pieces of cloth have turned into this social measuring tape - this mark of the quality of a person. We have pretty crazy ideas about what REALLY matters.
Who is going to be treated better - the homeless man in rags with a compassionate heart or the man in a Gucci suit with a heart of greed?
Brandon Miles
ReplyDeleteSubtext is the actual meaning hidden beneath the text. It is not directly stated.
"One must be poor to know the luxury of giving." - George Eliot
I think there can be several meanings to this quote. The first one being: only when you give so much to others (such as money) that you become poor yourself will you feel the true luxury of giving. If you have give $5 to a charity, you may feel good but for most people that money is easily obtainable and you won't feel that luxury of giving. However, if you give $1,000 and that's most of the money you have, then you would know that luxury of giving because you gave most of your money away. The other meaning is that if you are poor you won't be able to afford much, so most of the time you won't be able to give. However, when you do give, you will know that luxury because you were able to give to somebody when you normally couldn't afford it.
Jane Jang
DeleteWe had the same quote! I wholly agree with the second meaning, but I don't really understand the first meaning. Because the poor doesn't have a lot of money, they would not be able to give $1,000. Also, because the poor does not have a lot to give, if a poor person gave $5 to charity I think that would be the luxury because they gave a lot of what they have. And, in my opinion, that would be the luxury of giving. Good job!
Brandon, I like that you approached this from two different perspectives. Great job! You've got a good grasp on subtext.
DeleteMary Leigh Rock
ReplyDeleteSubtext is the information that the author is trying to convey without writing it out in words.
"Dress is a very foolish thing, and yet it is a very foolish thing for a man not to be well dressed." -Lord Chesterfield
The message that i got from this quote is that society today is very judgmental. From personal experience, I know people that will judge you if all you care about is materialistic things such as clothing, but the same people will then proceed to go behind your back and criticize you for not being dressed nice enough when all you wear is a t-shirt and sweat pants every day. I think the writer was trying to show people that society is hypocritical and too judgmental.
I like your response, and do think that society is too judgmental. To be dressed unwell does not mean that you should be criticized about not being well dressed.
DeleteThis has great insight into what Lord Chesterfield is saying about society. I'm sure it helps that you have real-world experience to back up your ideas! It's nice to know that what Chesterfield has to say is relevant to our personal experiences.
DeleteRefer to what I wrote on Lauren's post if you'd like to gain more insight into this quote!
Billy Borders
ReplyDeleteSubtext is a hidden, deeper, or secondary meaning to the literal meaning in a story.
"Dress is a very foolish thing, and yet is a very foolish thing for a man not to be well dressed." - Lord Chesterfield.
I think that this quote means that the clothes people wear are not very important, but society (mostly girls) are so overly obsessed with fashion and looking their best that somebody even a few months behind the current trend is a loser. The fact that somebody is wearing their sunday best to a semi-formal party or under dressed to a formal celebration is not a reason to make fun of somebody. Therefore it is a foolish matter, but it has become the norm.
Billy, your analysis of subtext is right on. Great job! I completely agree with you. Clothing is just material - what we where holds little importance. And yet, our society puts so much pressure on us to "dress to impress" - something so trivial has really become something so "valuable".
DeleteNoah Howard
ReplyDeleteSubtext is the authors hidden meaning in what he says in a story.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.- Oscar Wilde
I think this quote means a person is not being true to himself. They are living life to please other people, and to impress other people. It is talking about how people would rather be someone else then to find true happiness within themselves.The statement that says,"their passions a quotation", means that they are looking to others' words to provide them with a passion.This quotation clearly states that people are not themselves.
Kerri Anne Chew
DeleteI completely agree with what you are saying. Many people want to meet the expectations of others as such, they try to please other by becoming someone that is not true to themselves. At the same time, because of the way society has grown, many people are judgmental. Thus, people are unable to be who they really are.
Noah, you've got great ideas. Please refer to Darren's post and review my comment if you'd like more insight into this quote!
DeleteAustin Eager
ReplyDeleteSubtext is the meaning behind the obvious meaning of the story, but subtext is not written directly in the story.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."- Oscar Wilde
I think this means that most of society today says they are their own person. They believe that they are individuals who are't like anyone else. However, they are just replicating, either subconsciously or consciously, what someone else is doing, saying, or wearing. The people they're copying could be anyone, such as famous movie stars, or as simple as a kid imitating his dad. Everyone mirrors someone else in a way, no matter how independent you think you are.
Nathan Grant
DeleteI agree with what you say about everyone being there own person in today's society.
Great analysis of subtext! You've given us fantastic insight into what Wilde is saying about our society. The ideas of a loss of individuality and of a culture in which all ideas are seemingly exhausted are in your paragraph. Great job.
DeleteIf you'd like more insight into this quote, refer to Darren's post and see my comment.
Kerri Anne Chew
ReplyDeleteSubtext is a hidden meaning in a sentence.
Sophisticated people can hardly understand how vague experience is at the bottom, and how truly that vagueness supports whatever clearness is afterwards attained. - Santayana
The message that I got from this quote is that hard work will bring success and enlightenment. Sophisticated people only understand how hard it is to be at the bottom and how truly being at the bottom will make attaining success all the more worth it. Unsophisticated people are unable to savor success because they do not know the difficulty of being at the bottom. In order to feel the gratification after all that toiling, being at the bottom is always necessary.
Make sure you know that subtext extends to film, works of literature, conversations, and many other mediums (not just sentences).
DeleteGreat insight, by the way. I wouldn't have looked at this quote in that way. Some of what you've said is surface level material (not deep analysis, which is required for inferring subtext).
DeleteNathan Grant
ReplyDeleteSubtext is the message under the text of a sentence.
Some people, Nick believed were just dealt a brain full of lousy cards.
the subtext I got from this quote is that some people are born with disabilities, and not as much brain power as others. what the author wants people to know is that some people are literally stupid and have to work harder in order to get good grades and be suspenseful in life.-Neal Shusterman
Nathan, this is not the quote I handed to you. What happened? Is this from your novel? Please follow directions (:
DeletePaul Fuentez
ReplyDeleteSubtext is text within the text.
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." -Nelson Mandela
This states that true power is knowledge, of some people have a excellent education and just filled with so much knowledge, they might not know what to do with it and they might go drunk with the power of knowledge and just watch the world burn. But others will not just simply watch the world burn, they will put out the fire by using their knowledge and help the world solve its problems and improve the lives of millions.
Is this a quote that I gave you or that you chose yourself?
DeleteJane Jang
ReplyDeleteSubtext is the hidden message in text, and it is not always stated directly in the text.
One must be poor to know the luxury of giving. -George Eliot
The message that I got from this quote is that when you have something, it is harder for you to understand the privilege of having that something than someone who doesn't have that. Many people would think that if you're rich you have many luxuries, but there is at least one luxury that the rich do not have: the luxury of giving. If you are rich, you will just give things away without thought because you have ample amount of many things. Poor people do not have much, therefore, it is harder for them to give. However, when the poor do give they feel how giving is more of a luxury than rich people would.
Why is giving a luxury? Why, when the poor give, do they feel more of a luxury?
DeleteDig more into the text by asking the questions "what" and "why". Come see me if you'd like deeper insight into this quote!