On the First Day of Class

It was very interesting to see all the different theories that my classmates came up with when asked what we thought was the single most important thing to consider when analyzing a text. The theory on taking the context of the text into consideration is one that I thought was truly thought provoking. My theory, however, dealt with the diction of the text. I feel that it is extremely important to consider the types of words that are in a text. An author uses words to manipulate the reader's emotions and to create a certain impact. A song, for example, can arouse different types of feelings simply through its lyrics. Words also lead the reader to the author's point.

Applying my theory to the "Doll on a Music Box" video was very entertaining. Not only did it allow me to see whether or not my theory would work, but it was also an opportunity to analyze something that was not writing. The song that the doll sang would have been considered a very cheerful one if only the music had been taken into consideration. However, the song was about the doll's entrapment on the music box, something that is not at all cheerful. This is depicted in the types of words the doll uses. She uses words like "key" and "spell", words that connote some kind of confinement. She also uses the word "yearning" which paints a picture of the longing that the doll feels to be free. The song that the clown sings to her is full of words like "scrumptious", "wishes", and "honest" which help show the reader the love that he supposedly feels for the doll.

I ultimately believe that there are many elements that are important to consider when analyzing a text. I think that all the theories that everyone came up with should definitely be in our minds whenever analyzing something.