I know this book is screaming critical theory, deconstructive, and interpretivist paradigms...
However... I continue to have some difficulty painting a CLEAR picture in my head of the relationship to angels. I know I mentioned this in my first post and I don't like that I continue to feel this way. I sometimes understand the relationship more than others... I see it and then it disappears... It starts making sense and then I forget what I was thinking and how I made sense of it... Anyone else feel like this? Is it just me? :(
Alex, I agree with you that the whole angel theme might have been stretched a little thin. I think that Patti liked the angel concept (and we read in the Epilogue that it was her idea and she was "attached" to it) and really ran with it. For her, it helped her to conceptualize the book and the women's lives. However, because the women didn't produce the idea (or fully endorse it) I think it is an example of her researching down. They were worried about not telling the women's stories properly, I think that by structuring and titling the book around a concept not created by the women was in conflict with their intentions for the book. That might be something we could mention in our presentation, in regards to "fleshing out the issues" that Patti took some interpretive liberties with the angel theme.
ReplyDeleteThe other way in which Pattie used her power as a researcher is in the split text of the book. I understand that she felt that a more complicated book would express the complication of the disease to the readers, but I think she also alienated a good portion of readers (including some of the women!) by doing so. Many of the women didn't like it and she noted in the subtext that she was going to do it anyway. I understand that they considered ways of incorporating their reflection writings and felt this was the best, but I'm not so sure.
Ditto to what Erica said.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think the angel theme was indicative of pop-culture at the time. Angels were everywhere (music, movies, books, Hallmark figurines, other HIV/AIDS literature, etc.) in the 90's. Given the angel-inundation Patti probably experienced, I don't think it's too shocking that she decided to go down this angelic path.