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Literary Literary ImpressionismImpressionism

Decentering Plot, Emphasizing ExperienceDecentering Plot, Emphasizing Experience

{{The Nature of PerceptionThe Nature of Perception

Impressionism Impressionism in in ArtArt

{{ {{Perfect detail by Perfect detail by photographyphotography

Limited vision controlled by Limited vision controlled by conditions of observationconditions of observation

The invention of photography The invention of photography diminished interest in perfect diminished interest in perfect

replication by painting.replication by painting.

Rapid change in the world Rapid change in the world disordered established ways of disordered established ways of thinking, believing, and living. thinking, believing, and living.

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Impressionist Impressionist artists were artists were

interested in new interested in new science about the science about the

way the brain way the brain processes what it processes what it

sees.sees.

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The brain The brain experiences a delay experiences a delay between intake of between intake of visual information visual information and the much slower and the much slower process of process of understanding what understanding what is seen.is seen.

The Changing Effects of LightThe Changing Effects of Light

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Limited and ambiguous Limited and ambiguous perception perception

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Delayed coding of perceptionDelayed coding of perception

Spontaneous, unfinished, Spontaneous, unfinished, inwardinward

Unstable, flickering, inconsistent

Light colors the perception Light colors the perception of reality. What do we really of reality. What do we really see? What do we really see? What do we really know?know?

{{ Joseph ConradJoseph Conrad

““Writing should be Writing should be like painting, or like painting, or music, the queen of music, the queen of the arts.”the arts.”

{{The Nature of PerceptionThe Nature of Perception

Impressionism Impressionism in in LiteratureLiterature

““We live as we dream – We live as we dream – alone.”alone.”

Joseph Joseph ConradConrad

It is difficult to escape It is difficult to escape from the private from the private

reality of personality.reality of personality.

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It is possible, It is possible, however, to change however, to change the way we see the the way we see the world as a whole by world as a whole by experiencing another experiencing another individual’s individual’s perception.perception.

{{ {{What happens?What happens?

PlotPlot EventsEvents LinearLinear Certainty Certainty NarrativeNarrative Objective Objective DidacticismDidacticism TruthTruth

What do I think happened?What do I think happened?

PerceptionPerception ConsciousnessConsciousness Non-linearNon-linear UncertaintyUncertainty ContradictionsContradictions SubjectiveSubjective DialecticismDialecticism TruthsTruths

Plot Experience

Literary impressionists Literary impressionists create an experience, create an experience, not a plot. The process not a plot. The process of understanding is an of understanding is an

active, not passive, active, not passive, reading experience. reading experience. Conrad wants the Conrad wants the

reader to be confused reader to be confused at times.at times.

Reading Conrad is a journey, a Reading Conrad is a journey, a quest, an experience. Your quest, an experience. Your personalpersonal experience of the experience of the

perceptions, not the plot, matters.perceptions, not the plot, matters.

“Half of the book belongs to the “Half of the book belongs to the writer. The other half belongs to writer. The other half belongs to

the reader.”the reader.”

Joseph ConradJoseph Conrad

What is real?What is real?The surface of events The surface of events can be different from can be different from what is really what is really happening.happening.

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A literary artist suggests with A literary artist suggests with images, using small images, using small

brushstrokes and strong color. brushstrokes and strong color. The reader experiences the The reader experiences the gap between the impression gap between the impression

and processing the message in and processing the message in the brain. the brain.

THE PROCESS MATTERS.THE PROCESS MATTERS.

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The process is the force of your The process is the force of your own brain. If Conrad had wanted own brain. If Conrad had wanted for you to simply read a summary, for you to simply read a summary,

he would have written the he would have written the summary himself.summary himself.

Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conradby Joseph Conrad

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ImagesImages Colors Colors AllusionsAllusions MemoryMemory ConfusionConfusion AmbiguityAmbiguity InformationInformation Incompleteness Incompleteness

IronyIronyHypocrisyHypocrisySurpriseSurpriseShockShockHorrorHorrorPityPityComprehensionComprehensionExplanationExplanation

Delayed DecodingDelayed Decoding: : deferred identification or deferred identification or

understanding of understanding of perceptionperception

Literary ImpressionismLiterary Impressionism

SpontaneousSpontaneous FragmentedFragmented Strong colorsStrong colors Observations under Observations under

specific conditionsspecific conditions Limited visionLimited vision RevisionsRevisions Simulation of light Simulation of light

(vision)(vision) Changes in light Changes in light (vision)(vision) Shadows & sunlightShadows & sunlight AmbiguityAmbiguity DistortionDistortion Small brush strokes Small brush strokes

(details leading to big picture(details leading to big picture SketchlikeSketchlike

exploring exploring consciousness to consciousness to discover how much we discover how much we do not know and can do not know and can never know, even if we never know, even if we are absolutely certain are absolutely certain about what we think about what we think we knowwe know

Reader’s participation Reader’s participation in delayed decoding in delayed decoding and working toward and working toward closureclosure

the haze or glow the haze or glow around the plot that around the plot that matters more than plot matters more than plot

MAY THE FORCE BE MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.WITH YOU.