The Human Stain - An Open Letter to Wikipedia

Sam Ding

Article Analysis

                 On September 7, 2012, Philip Roth writes an article for the New Yorker called “An Open Letter to Wikipedia.” Philip Roth is an American author who has published novels from the mid-1970s to present time. In the article to Wikipedia, he writes in a tone of disbelief and anger about his attempts at getting certain details on Wikipedia changed about one of his nationally,bestselling novels: The Human Stain. To do this, he explains some of the details in his novel and what inspired the creation of these characters and events.

                Roth first tells of his interaction with Wikipedia. In summary, Roth makes a claim that he his request for changes to be made to his novel’s Wikipedia page was denied. He backs up this claim with a quote from the English Wikipedia Administrator. Firstly, it is not mentioned how the communication with the person representing Wikipedia takes place. Also, even though the evidence and claim is logical, it is possible that Roth only took a quote since he is trying to portray that Wikipedia completely rejected his petition. The entire communication between them is not posted on the article. From here, he finally tells the reader what the misunderstanding is – that his novel was inspired by the writer Anatole Broyard.

                He states that The Human Stain was inspired by his friend Melvin Tumin. Roth then tells of one of Tumin’s experiences as a professor at Princeton University and how it relates to the main character in his novel. Unlike the previous claim, he gives evidence of Tumin’s experience through four paragraphs. For this evidence-claim relationship, it is almost certain to be true, since he passionately backs it up with a detailed story. Even more, the story is by the author himself!

                His next claim is that The Human Stain could not have been inspired by Anatole Tumin. The evidence he uses to back this claim is by asking rhetorical questions of if Tumin is related to the main character in any way. He questions Tumin’s credentials, life experiences, and personality and compares them to the characteristics of the main character of his novel, Coleman Silk. Furhtermore, Roth brings up the question of how Anatole Tumin could be the inspiration of his novel when he did not know anything about Tumin’s private life. He brings up the issue that an author needs to be able to envision everything about someone in order to be able to make a story about a man’s life, which is impossible for Roth since he had no contact with Tumin for roughly 50 years. This evidence-claim relationship is also believable; since it is unlikely a reader coming across this article would have knowledge of Roth’s personal life.

                In all, Roth makes a rant about his experiences with Wikipedia concerning his novel The Human Stain. Although the premise for the article lacks sufficient evidence to make it believable, his other claims are backed up with detailed evidence.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2012/09/an-open-letter-to-wikipedia.html

Song Analysis

Generator 2nd Floor by Freelance Whales

Lyrics:

And I could never tell as a kid 
What that window door went to
Only told to stay away
I almost had an accident at age 6
When I found the key in the attic
And now the smell of these wood frames
Is the only sense I've left
So as you pull me from the bed
Tell me I look stunning and cadaverous

And since you are my friend
I would ask that you lower me down slow
And tell the man in the black cloak
He doesn't need to trouble his good soul
With those latin conjugations
And if it's all the same to them
You should tell your gathering friends
Please not to purse their faces grim
On such a lovely Sunday

Don't fix my smile, life is long enough
We will put this flesh into the ground again

Analysis:

This song is about death and acceptance, told from the dead person's perspective (I will refer to that person as a male (he) to make things easier).

He first begins his song talking about his curiosity and inability to understand death as a child. He talks about death as a very abstract mystery that he was kept away from. He also cites his first close encounter with death as a child in lines 4-5.

The speaker then shifts to the time of his death by saying that almost all of his senses are now gone (6-7). In lines 8-9 we see that the speaker passed away while he was asleep in his bed, implying that the speaker is probably an elderly man who died of old age.

This would help explain why the man is so seemingly content and at peace with his death throughout the song, especially in the second stanza.

When he says, "lower me down slow" in line 11 he's talking about his body/casket being put into the ground.

He then goes on to say that the "man in the black cloak," meaning the preacher, doesn't need to worry about reciting formal Latin or versus from the bible (because the speaker doesn't need them). 

The speaker doesn't want the people at his funeral to be upset ("purse their faces grim") and ruin a beautiful day. He doesn't see this occasion as anything to be sad about.

The last two lines are repeated several times at the end of the song. In these lines the speaker is explaining that there is no need for them to stage and put make-up on his body for an open-casket ceremony because he had plenty of time to look and be alive during his life. He doesn't need any more time and is very much at peace with his situation.

I understand that the last line explains that he will soon be buried, but the "again" throws me off a little. Perhaps it makes sense if the speaker is of the belief that we all come from the Earth in this cyclical, united fashion with nature, that "we are all one" mentality. Otherwise, I'm not sure. Commenters?

Extra Credit Assignment

Hello Class-

For extra credit, please post either a Rhetorical Analysis of a song lyric of your choice or an analysis of the use of evidence and claims on an online article (post the link). The assignment is due by Thursday, December 6th. This post should be at least 500 words. Also, please comment (at least once) on the content of another student's post. The comment(s) is due by Tuesday, December 10th. The extra credit will count for up to five points toward your lowest paper grade, unless you specify the credit apply to another assignment.

Please see me with questions.

Susan Norman