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Literary texts can represent and reshape reality.  Different authors will have a different perspective to help create a broader picture.  Representation can be problematic if only one voice is presented or if that representation is not based in fact it is trying to teach about history.  Some authors use fiction to create a different reality.  Authors’ voices are shaped by their values and their own personal history and culture.  Thus, you can have many different stories about the same subject that will provide different thoughts, ideas and perspectives.  Authors might try to hide behind their true identity, which if discovered can change a reader’s own perspective of the book long after he/she has read it.  Some readers might not want to read an author because of their preconceived notion of what the author will be saying or it will come from a perspective/voice that they do not want to hear.

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Writers and readers are both subconsciously affected by their past life experiences and culture which for the writers will play into the way they write and for readers play into how they perceive the written word.  Writers will borrow or make reference to other works because they inspire them, but also because it allows their characters to have a common reference with their readers.  For example, if the character has read Shakespeare and the reader has read Shakespeare, they have a common bond and it makes the character more relatable.  Some literary techniques that writers employ to evoke emotion or grab attention is to use very short or very long sentences. Some break the rules of grammar using long run on sentences or don’t use sentences at times.  Other techniques to draw in a reader are using alliterative phrasing, punctuating or not. Reading will make you more knowledgeable and reading work by people who are different from you can transform the way you think. Very few authors can write only one book that will engage readers for many years to come.  Harper Lee and Juan Rulfo are two such authors.

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Authors are able to create and control perspective by using different characters' interactions and quotes to control the readers point of view.  Different voices allow readers to get a broader picture and also allows different readers to connect or relate to different characters.  Mostly this is done with dialog, but it can also be done through a narrator.  Interactions between characters at different times in the book can change perceptions and reactions to earlier parts.  Sometimes this can be blurred. If an author does not clearly specify who is speaking it is up to the reader to interpret what is happening.  In Pedro Paramo  Rulfo does not always let you know who is speaking nor does he define whether or not they are alive or dead which further blurs the divide between reality and imagination, life and death.

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Some readers will connect with writers who share similar histories or cultural connections.  It is a comfortable relationship.  The reader has certain expectations and doesn’t expect many surprises.  While the author owns the words that have been written and controls the meaning in the time and place that it was written, oftentimes, there is room for interpretation from the reader which allows for discussion and learning. It could just be from a small maybe “unimportant” part of the story but, a reader can feel an instinct connection. Rulfo connects with his readers by having Juan go in search of his father and his mother’s history.  Everyone is curious about their own family and it makes him more relatable.  iIt is when we have different beliefs and different life experiences that we can disagree with the text or believe that a book is not worth reading.

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Creativity can draw a reader into a work.  Writers' use of words can create new worlds, recreate old ones, and evoke emotions.  They can also engage a reader’s curiosity. Without creativity, a novel can be boring and not worth spending one’s time reading.  Rulfo uses visions, sounds, and imagination to create a landscape that is vivid, which is contrasted by his realistic description of the desolate landscape. Rulfo wants us to understand his country and its experiences and does it through his words which he uses to paint pictures in his readers’ minds much like the photographs he took to show his people and the Mexican landscape. Instead of the reality that his photography depicts, Rulfo creates a world of ghosts, time-bending, imagination, and surrealism to transport us into a different world. He uses all of our senses to better understand his world.  Life and death become intertwined like imagination and reality.

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Authors are absolutely influenced by their own culture, life experience, and other cultures they have learned about and experienced.  They may write in support of it, or against it, but they are writing from a place within them subconsciously.  Rulfo is writing about what he knows – his people, his land, and his history. A big part of Mexican culture is the importance of revering and honoring the dead. They even have a special holiday for it, Dia de los Muertos.  Death, ghosts, and religion are intertwined in the novel.  When approaching a novel set in a different place, and a different time period you have to have an open mind when learning about other people’s experiences.  The reader can’t bring his/her own preconceived notions because it is too limiting and does not allow you to appreciate the book or learn anything.  One has to have an open mind to learn about other people, places, and history.

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Literature reveals a person or a group’s identity as it informs the reader of its point of view.  One needs to understand the point of view and have a vague understanding of the identity of the character/group in order to engage with the novel.  It gives the reader perspective.  An author does not always share the same identity as the characters, but if they have researched their subjects, they can speak on their behalf. Rulfo is Mexican and he has a great knowledge of its people, its culture, its landscape, and its native population.  If the author shares the same identity it lends a certain credibility as the author has a shared experience with his characters.  Readers bring their own life experiences and biases to the work they are reading, which brings their own identities to influence their opinion of the book.

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Representation: Books are filled with author bias. The author's experiences and values play a big role in how setting and characters are represented. These opinions are not necessarily right and cause the author to reshape reality. In the story, much of the setting is in a purgatory. In addition, the story portrays a god v character relationship in almost everyone. This theme tells me that the author is most likely religious and is concerned about the after-life. Examples like these proves the presence of values in the book.

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Transformation: Author’s copy established techniques because they know they work. They see success with certain characterization/plot lines and follow it. However, the writer also provides their own twists to give the story uniqueness. For example, Rulfo’s structure is messy but effective. Unlike traditional structure, the timing of the plot was backwards and referenced the present before the past. He also used vivid imagery and symbolism: “Water dripping from the roof tiles was forming a hole in the sand of the patio. Plink! Plink!”. A book's theme can provide a transformative effect on the reader. It can teach a lesson and help the reader learn more about themselves. On the other hand, readers make the literary work popular. They can also find many new interpretations and ideas within the book.

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Rulfo does an amazing job of representing the point of view from Mexican culture. When Damiana and Juan are walking through the town she states: “There was a time when night after night I could hear the sounds of a fiesta” (41). This is an accurate representation of what the Mexican holiday “El día de los Muertos” is all about. They do not view death as a sad thing where people should mourn, they choose to celebrate the accomplishments of their ancestors. So the fact that Rulfo chooses to depict the dead as partying and having fiestas in the city is very accurate. The Mexicans value this as a part of their culture and if someone from Mexico were to read this story, it would not even seem that out of the norm (the spirits, souls, etc.). This act of representation could be problematic because the readers who celebrate “El día de los Muertos” might not see this book as part of the genre of magical realism. They are already accustomed to ghosts, so they would not fully understand the “magic” aspect of the story. So, some of Rulfo’s perspective might get lost.

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The author relates the text to Christianity throughout the novel. This is included in the very beginning of the story, shown in the life of a typical Mexican family, where Pedro’s grandmother asks him: “Why didn't you come say your Rosary? We were making a novena for your grandfather” (15). Rosary is a set of prayers, not a commonly used word in the English language as a whole, however it is prominent in the Christian vocabulary. The grandma also references a “novena” which is 9 days of prayer. The family takes these traditions and their culture very seriously. Rulfo is trying to portray the importance of Christianity to their family and the rest of the people in Comala, they all have a connection to the church. Nowadays, the culture is not so black and white, not everyone in one town shares the same beliefs. We have different churches for different branches of religions, to have places for everyone who lives here. With all of the different cultures that have come together, even in California in particular, it would be very narrow minded for someone to assume everyone goes to the same church in the town. I did not even know the term of what a “Rosary” was until I read this book, but in this time period, everyone would know the Christian traditions. Rulfo depicts this extremely well through this work.

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Perspective: The book was written in the first person and in a third-person omniscient view. Perspective is the pathway of information from the author to the reader. It changes the way we understand the text. At the start of the book, Juan Preciado talks in the first person: “I came to Comala because I had been told that my father, a man named Pedro Páramo, lived there(3).”The First-person allows the reader access to the mind of the main character. Whereas, in the third person, we have access to everyone’s mind. The author may also use perspective for flashbacks and to give context. As Juan meets new ghosts, he gains background from their perspectives. Context pulled the story together. Further, historical experience plays a big role in the accuracy of a book. If the author has gained perspective on certain topics in the past, it can give an accurate representation.

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Communication: Readers and writers relate through connection and relation. In Pedro Paramo, If someone is interested in the history of Mexico/religion, they would connect to Rulfo. Although Rulfo has his own interpretation of the text, the reader finds their own meaning in the literature. Certain events may symbolize something different to each person. There is not a right meaning. In Pedro Paramo, despire doing nothing wrong, Eduviges is unforgiven and goes to hell. Opposite to me, my friend did not see this event as significant, arguing people die unforgiven all the time. Our difference in values and interpretation provide a different meaning for the event.

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Creativity: The author uses ghosts and murder to evoke fear and tension in the story. Damiana remembers Torobio Aldrete being hanged: “Damiana recalls that the Media Luna ranch hand Toribio Aldrete was hanged in this very room and then locked inside.” Murder helps the reader imagine the brutality of Pedro Paramo, while also making the story more exciting. The unpredictability and constant engagement make the book more compelling. Creativity in books gives strong visuals and shows the reader a never-before-seen plot. Creativity can also be seen through the style of literary works. Authors use different methods to articulate meaning. For example, in Pedro Paramo, Rulfo uses flashbacks, italicize, perspective, and dialogue.

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Identity: Juan Rulfo was born in rural Mexico, much like the setting during the book. He was a first-hand witness of the Cristero War and was born during the Mexican Revolution. As an eyewitness, Rulfo has an emotional connection to the setting of the text and can provide a more accurate interpretation of the time period. By relating to the characters and historical events mentioned in the book, the audience gains greater appreciation. When relating to a book on a personal level, the text is more understandable and exciting to read.

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Culture: Mexico was overwhelmingly Christian-dominated during the time period. There was corruption in the church and a huge concern of hell. Rulfo connects the idea of the afterlife very well in the book by symbolizing the town of Comola as a Purgatory. He also references the culture of male dominance. The women in the book are represented as objects used for sex and hospitality. Although the culture seems extreme, it is important to note that this was a norm of the time period. Women could not even vote until 1953 in Mexico. The book was clearly influenced by Rulfo’s background and the Mexican culture.

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Literary works can represent the reality the author lived in or is living, it can represent the reality of a different world based on the life we already live. Representation is important, it shows the different people, views, lifestyles, and ideologies of a certain time. It can be problematic in the way you show these things, such as not including different views and people in a way to make them seem like they don’t exist. Through representation we see the attitudes and values of the author and of the time, such as the critic and representation of Catholicism throughout the book, how it is criticized as being a bad system but still being very evident and talked about throughout the book.

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Writers do often use writing techniques from other authors to enhance their writing while still having an original way of presenting that writing technique. There are many writing techniques widely used within the world of writing to make stories more interesting, such as the use of literary devices, the use of archetypes, and types of genres. These writing techniques have been around since ancient days, such as the “tragic hero” archetypes seen in old classics like the Odessy. There are rules to different genres and archetypes, and you have to follow them to be able to call it a certain genre or archetype, however, the content can be completely different and you can change it to fit your story. It is almost impossible to find books with some types of archetypes used, but you can create your own original thought, just because authors use them doesn’t mean that you are required to, and it doesn’t automatically make a book good or bad. Books can influence each other, there are many books that someone can read and think of another book that is similar in concept, this isn’t a bad thing, it helps the reader develop a certain interest in specific genres and writing styles.

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The perspective of who the story is told from changes from time to time in the book, through flashbacks to the past and changing the “narrator” or the person who is speaking. Through this, we can see the different views of the characters, how they think, and how they see the other characters. We view and understand the story from our own perspective, with our own ideologies, morals, and beliefs. These can change depending on the culture we live in and the time period because societal views change over time and throughout the world. Depending on your situation and views, you are able to feel more emotionally connected to a certain character or scene, and on the other hand, you can be upset and criticize characters and scenes depending on your views.

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The way that I believe authors and readers connect through a piece of writing is by relatability. The ability to look at a character or a scene in the book and being able to relate to gives the reader a sense of a personal relationship, you can still understand and enjoy a book without being feeling connected to it, you just won’t be able to understand it at a deeper level. You aren’t able to connect to every book because usually, our experiences aren’t universal. Interpretations also play a big role, the way you interpret a scene or quote could change whether you connect to it or not, the answer to certain questions, and the way you see the characters. For example, a lot of us saw Pedro’s death differently, some people said he died of heartbreak, some people said he died due to the weight of his actions, I believe he died because of his stab wound, some people believe he didn’t even get stabbed. Since we all view this scene a little differently, we analyze it differently.

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Rulfo has a very interesting creative concept going on within the book. The world is filled with supernatural events such as all the people of the town being ghosts, the way each ghost acts and interacts with each other is quite interesting. Using imagination and creativity in a piece of writing gives it a new understanding, it makes the writing easier to understand and read. It gives the piece depth and a new layer to uncover and analyze. How boring would most books be without that touch of supernatural and magic, not that books that don’t have that aren’t good, but this type of creative writing helps take a bad and hard to understand the situation and turn it into something the rest of the world can understand. The book depicts a supernatural take on the Mexican civil war and Cristero War, as a kid Rulfo witnessed scenes of violence within the war and he incorporated them in a way to make it less traumatic and easier to see by using this way of depicting the events that took place. The way ghosts act in this story is made this way to be able to tell a story, to tell the reader the events that took place, and then we have to piece them together and connect them. To show the reader a different side to a real story, the side that he saw as a kid.

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Pedro Paramo is heavily influenced by the Mexican culture of the time, by historic events that happened in Mexico, ad by religion. Culture is something that is almost unavoidable in any writer’s work, it influences the way someone sees the world, if you grew up thinking that bananas are orange, that would reflect in your writing and other things. In this case, the ideology of the time within the people of Comala reflects how people of this time thought, for example how Catholicism plays a role in the story. Catholicism is very evident throughout the book but it is not in favor of it, it is criticizing the way it works, how you have to pay to get into heaven and how the Church is corrupt which is a very different opinion than the one of the time. Another example is how Eduviges is seen and treated throughout being a subtle way to show us how women of the time were treated. She is never seen by the people around her, no one listens or cares about her, she is forgettable, even though she did so much good by helping “lost souls” have a safe space to be and gave all her resources to keep them alive, she still isn’t recognized. Eduviges is aware of how she is invisible to the rest of the world and it gets reinforced when Juan visits her house and tells her that his other never told him about her despite being best friends. When we approach pieces of work like this, full of culture from a different time, we can only approach it with an open mind and the ability to understand where they are coming from even if we don’t agree with it.

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Within Pedro Paramo, the identity of Mexican culture is prominent, it is based on a group of people who lived within the time period of the Mexican civil wat and the Cristero war. It is also influenced by Rulfo’s own identity, beliefs, and experiences, it’s his way of seeing, understanding, and analyzing his own culture. Through this, you can look into the life of an entirely different society than ours, and how someone who lived thought it views it. The way a reader interprets a story like this is also influenced by their own identity, beliefs, and experiences. We haven’t lived through a war, we haven’t seen death and destruction around us, we may interpret these things differently. The way we view religion, specifically Catholicism within our culture is different today than it was back then. Catholicism as widespread as it was, it isn’t the only religion around, and there are a lot of people who don’t believe in any religion, to us it can see weird how focused people are about it. Being able to appreciate and respect these interpretations is quite important.

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Isabella Edber, Alexandra Humphreys, Uma Ram 

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Isabella Edber, Alexandra Humphreys, Uma Ram 

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CREATIVITY:
Writing is used to create a story and a world for readers to fall in love with. It is an author’s outlet to bring to light whatever is burning a whole inside their head. Juan Rulfo created this story for the same exact reasons. He was bringing light to the creativity and complexity that his brain had to offer. The novel does not seem like it was an easy piece to write, but it was created for the joy of readers. Writing is a tool and outlet authors use to connect with an audience. Writers use reality, imagination, and craft to create effective and compelling works. Juan Rulfo combines the genre of magical realism with some very realistic aspects of life, which is what makes the book both relatable and interesting. The novel is filled with ghosts and spirits, which is the part that requires imagination. However, there are parts about having one parent, mental health, and women’s rights, which are all relevant and realistic. An author needs to know how to combine the elements of the supernatural, with those of real life, in order to create a book that readers want to keep coming back to. Creativity plays a huge role in the way readers respond to texts. If a book is not creative, no reader is going to want to read it. Being creative can be defined in so many different ways, but a commonality is that it is one of the most important parts of a novel. Readers respond to creativity and feed off of it. Juan Rulfo embodies creativity and uses it to lure the readers in. He comes up with different ghosts and spirits, in order to peak the interest of an audience. The novel exudes creativity, which is what makes it such a good book to read.

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Isabella Edber, Alexandra Humphreys, Uma Ram 

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Isabella Edber, Alexandra Humphreys, Uma Ram 

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COMMUNICATION:
Certain writers and readers can connect through shared experiences and life lessons. When authors write about experiences that readers can relate to or about themes that readers agree with, a relationship is formed between the writer and the reader. This makes the text more interesting for readers. In Pedro Paramo, the author, Rulfo, can connect with readers through the characters’ stories, Mexican cultural experiences, and common themes. When writing, authors infuse meaning into their works. They attempt to create and write about various themes that they believe are important and relevant. However, although authors generally try to control the meaning of their work, they are not the sole owners of meaning. Readers can form their own interpretations of texts. New meanings can be created and revealed from readers, not just authors. We can disagree on the meaning and themes of texts. When we go beyond asking what happened in the novel to asking why it happened and what it means, different people can have very different opinions. Each individual person has personal biases that affect their responses to texts. Readers form different interpretations of texts based on their backgrounds and previous experiences.

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Isabella Edber, Alexandra Humphreys, Uma Ram 

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Isabella Edber, Alexandra Humphreys, Uma Ram 

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PERSPECTIVE:
Authors create and control voice and perspective through the use of adjectives, variations of sentence structure, and new characters. Also, authors add certain language to indicate to the readers a change in time or setting. For example, at the beginning of Pedro Páramo, Juan meets Eduviges, and the novel transitions into Pedro’s perspective from when he was a boy. The first paragraph in the transition contains some imagery of the scene. It has been raining, then the clouds move away, the sun shines through, and there is a fresh breeze. This paragraph describes life, while the several ones before talk about the unimaginable heat and how the town of Comala is dead. After reading the lively, dynamic paragraph, the readers realize that there has been a change in scenes. Then, a mother talks to her son, and though the readers might not immediately identify this is Pedro’s story, it can gradually be inferred. Perspective impacts the emotional and intellectual proximity of readers because a character’s perspective in the book can associate with the readers in several ways. For example, if a character is facing some social issues at school, a reader might be facing a similar situation and they begin to connect with the book even more. They feel close to the book and think of it as a safe place. Furthermore, if a reader has knowledge on a certain topic explored extensively in the book, they learn more about the topic. Writers’ perspectives are influenced by their cultural and historical context because for example, in Pedro Páramo, Rulfo includes them to enhance the novel. He writes the story around the Mexican Revolution in 1910 and includes several factors that are part of Mexican culture and values. Readers’ perspectives are influenced by their cultural and historical context because when reading a novel, they can relate to the culture. Or if they know about, for example, the Mexican revolution, then they can connect with the novel.

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Isabella Edber, Alexandra Humphreys, Uma Ram 

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Isabella Edber, Alexandra Humphreys, Uma Ram 

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TRANSFORMATION:
Writers often borrow or make references to ideas and techniques from other writers because knowledge builds through the process. When one writer has one idea, another writer might have a few ideas branching out from that. Or, they might reference the idea to share a different perspective of it. Furthermore, none of what we write is original - though we claim it is. Our ideas come from things we’ve read, heard, and seen, but we don’t give credit to these prior knowledge sources. So, in the end, all of what we write is borrowed from another source.

Literary texts both adhere to and deviate from conventions and techniques associated with certain genres and forms. This novel is a part of the genre of magical realism, which takes an exponential amount of technique and a special way of writing. The convention associated with magical realism is the usage of ghosts and spirits in a story. This is the basis of the novel and why it works the way it does. Ghosts and spirits are first shown, when Juan thinks, “And though there were no children playing, no doves, no blue-shadowed roof tiles, I felt that the town was alive. And that if I heard only silence, it was because I was not yet accustomed to silence -maybe because my head was filled with sounds and voices. Yes, voices. And here, where the air was so rare I heard them even stronger. They lay heavy inside me” (Rulfo 8). This is showing that the book uses these conventions to adhere to the magical realism genre and its interested readers. A way this novel deviates from the norms is by having almost all the characters be stuck in purgatory. This is not something that is found very much through different magical realism novels. Literary works and readers have a transformative effect on each other because authors write about things readers can relate to and readers can be inspired by literary texts. Writers may alter their works to be better suited to readers’ interests. They want their work to be enjoyable for readers. Furthermore, readers’ responses to an author’s literature can determine if the author creates another work or how another work would be written. Literature can transform readers. After reading a literary work, readers may feel inspired by the themes in the literature. New outlooks on life can be formed and influenced by the work.

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Isabella Edber, Alexandra Humphreys, Uma Ram 

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Isabella Edber, Alexandra Humphreys, Uma Ram 

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REPRESENTATION:
This literary text definitely reshapes reality and realistic norms. The story utilizes ghosts and spirits to reshape the reality of Comala and Juan’s life. Pedro Páramo creates its own reality supported by the characters and stories along the way. What even is reality, when in every story reality is formed along the way? It is the same way with people, where reality comes to light in whatever way they want it to. Literary texts do represent the fact that reality is whatever it becomes during the journey, that is a story. The act of representation can be extremely problematic. There are many different types of representation. Authors are tasked with trying to represent as many different types of people as they can. This could become a problem, since everyone has different viewpoints and ways of thinking. This novel shows how problematic representation can become. Maybe it happened through the Spanish to English translation, but Juan Rulfo does not do a very good job. Yes, there are people with mental health disorders (Susana), power issues (Pedro), and people who grew up with no father (Juan and Abundio). However, Rulfo does not do a very good job at representing why these people are the way they are. For example, Susana has a mental disorder of some sort and the author just writes that she went crazy and died. He never got to explaining why that is important, instead he talked about how it affected Pedro. It definitely has a lot to do with the time period it was written, where conversations on these hard topics really never happened. Representations have a way of both revealing and concealing the underlying values or attitudes of the novel. The author represents all the characters by revealing their underlying values and attitudes. Representations of, for example, a controversial current event can “bring out different sides” of a person. It can reveal their true natures or beliefs, or values they grew up with or like an attitude towards a subject. It can reveal, but controversial things can also conceal certain beliefs. One example of this is when Juan was on his way to Comala, where he says “I never meant to keep my promise. But before I knew it my head began to swim with dreams and my imagination took flight. Little by little I began to build a world around a hope centered on a man called Pedro Páramo, the man who had been my mother’s husband. That was why I had come to Comala” (Rulfo 3). Rulfo was representing his story and the decisions he had to make in order to get there. This is a very important representation of an underlying value or attitude in the novel.

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Isabella Edber, Alexandra Humphreys, Uma Ram 

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Isabella Edber, Alexandra Humphreys, Uma Ram 

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CULTURE:
Authors are influenced by the world around them. In Pedro Paramo, this is evident in Rulfo’s writing on gender, class, and religion. Throughout the novel, women constantly face violence and are treated as less than men, class divisions are obvious, and religion is highly important to everyone in Comala. This reflects the cultural attitudes of 1950s Mexico. Rulfo was affected by the values of the time and place he lived, and his novel demonstrates these values. Mexican beliefs about death and the afterlife are reflected in the text. Mexican cultural traditions, including Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), express the Mexican belief in eternal life and that the dead can come back to visit the living world. For instance, when talking to Juan, Dorotea states,“[My soul] is probably wandering like so many others, looking for living people to pray for it”(66). Dorotea is dead. However, her soul still roams around the living world, and she is able to communicate with the living. This reflects the Mexican culture beliefs about death. However, the text also challenges cultural traditions. For example, Rulfo uses Father Renteria’s character to comment on Christianity and the church. Father Renteria is immoral and grants salvation to the wealthy but not the poor. This challenges the morality of the church. Before reading a text from a different time and culture, it is important to research the context that the novel was written in. This gives readers a more thorough comprehension of the text and its themes. We can better understand an author’s motivation for writing the text, which helps us understand the meaning and significance of the literary work. It is important to keep an open mind and appreciate the text in terms of the time and place it was written.

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Isabella Edber, Alexandra Humphreys, Uma Ram 

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Isabella Edber, Alexandra Humphreys, Uma Ram 

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IDENTITY:
The identity of an individual or group can be revealed through literature because when one reads a novel on, for example, medicine and disease, you can infer that this person either has a medical/science background, or just enjoys reading scientific literature. Same with history, fantasy, etc. The genre of literature one reads can say a lot about their personality. Additionally, the identity of a character can be revealed through literature through the use of adjectives, dialogue, thoughts, etc. An author’s identity is extremely significant in their creation of a literary work. Their values and beliefs can be portrayed through characters. Or they can create a character that represented them as a child and who they wanted to be. There are limitless possibilities for how an author can incorporate themselves into their literary work, and how we interpret it. For example, in Pedro Páramo, several deep, meaningful lines are said by various characters. These lines could represent what Rulfo believes in and values. The identity of a reader is very important in the act of appreciating and interpreting a novel. For example, in Pedro Páramo, one has to have a basic understanding of Mexican culture and history to truly appreciate the messages the author is trying to send. Or, one has to be good in abstract concepts to understand some of what Rulfo writes. On page 42, he says, “Every sigh is like a drop of your life being swallowed up.” Some of the language and sentence structure he includes is deep. Or, you have to be one to enjoy reading magical realism and fiction. That is the reason why one’s favorite book is their favorite book. They enjoy reading it and have prior knowledge of what the book is about, so they appreciate it and interpret it.

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Brooke J, Ella A, Vibusha V, Sabrina D, Lucy A

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Brooke J, Ella A, Vibusha V, Sabrina D, Lucy A

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Transformation: As in any industry, the more written works that are published and gain critical acclaim, the more literature fundamentals are established. Over the years, new genres have been created and books, novels, novellas, and short stories have been written on topics of all fields. As these books were released, authors and readers have seen what works within each genre and what does not. Therefore, within each genre, there are principles and precedents that have been set for all future writers. The concept of intertextuality ties into this concept of originality because overtime, common storylines, character personalities, and other aspects of the plot have been made into literary archetypes and devices. These character types were all initially crafted by different readers, yet they are widely used in all forms of literature because they provide a sense of comfort, fluidity, and organization to the work. These are also meant to bring the reader in through relatability and help them connect to the characters like in the “reader-writer-text” relationship.

The novel Pedro Paramo uses copious amounts of vivid imagery and symbolism which is often the case for novels which rely heavily on symbolism. Moreover, Pedro, the main character of the novel resembles aspects of a tragic hero in many ways. The tragic hero is a common archetype where the main character has to meet a tragic fate. This archetype is used in many novels and plays such as Macbeth, Oediupus, and Things Fall Apart. In the novel, Pedro is so blinded by his love and intense emotions for Susana that he carries out numerous irrational acts which ultimately lead him to his death. On the other hand, the novel does not follow regular conventions in many ways. Throughout the book there are many stories and shifts from one plot point to the next, however there are no chapters. The book lacks structure. It is possible that Rulfo wrote this book in this way to highlight the fluidity between the perspectives but nonetheless it is very unconventional. This sets the book apart from many other novels. Moreover the book focuses heavily on magical realism, a genre that is quite uncommon. Rulfo essentially paves the way for magical realism. At the time, Pedro Paramo was one of the only magical realistic books and hence Rulfo could even be called the “father of magical realism.” This shows the ingenuity of the author for being able to create a new genre and successfully convey deep themes in the novel without losing the audience’s interest. Finally, the plot touches on sensitive and controversial topics which is also often uncommon. The author comments on taboos, which are quite literally topics that are forbidden to be discussed in the public. This bold move is risky; however, it aids the reader in understanding the culture. Similarly, women were also seen as a type of taboo in the way that they were restricted from the public, especially during the time period that the novel takes place in. Yet, Rulfo extensively describes the background and situations of all the female characters. He often gives them emphasis and writes in a tone that evokes empathy towards the women in the book. Again, although this goes against social norms, it is the author’s way of expressing his thoughts in the most constructive method.

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Ella A, Brooke J, Lucy A, Sabrina D, Vibusha Vadivel

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Ella A, Brooke J, Lucy A, Sabrina D, Vibusha Vadivel

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Culture:
Authors are influenced in multiple ways by beliefs, values, and attitudes of the time and place they write.  During Juan’s descent into Comala he talks to Abundio about finding his father. As they are walking down Abundio says, “‘We’re Pedro Páramo’s sons, all right, but, for all that, our mothers brought us into the world on straw mats’” (Rulfo 7). This reflects the author's time because during the 1950’s women were still living in the home taking care of their children and not equal to men yet. In this novel, women were used, raped, and left to take care of the children they were forced to have.

Literary texts reflect and definitely challenge cultural traditions. During Pedro Páramo it reflects many cultural traditions and festivals Mexicans have celebrated. Such as Dia de los Muertos. During a flashback Susana has, she describes a memory of her and her father. Her father is making younger Susana go into an eerie basement and find lost items. During her search through the dark she says, “The skeleton broke into individual bones: the jawbone fell away as if it were sugar” (Rulfo 91). This subtle Dia de los muertos motif is evidence of Juan Rulfo’s messages on his culture. He also adds other parties and messages in his novel about the culture he is embedded in. An example of challenging cultural tradition is the taboo, disturbing the dead. Once Juan meets Abundio they go down into Comala and talk about their father. As Abundio is giving Juan information about the town and his father Abundio says, “‘Pedro Páramo died years ago’” (Rulfo 7).  Many people do not like to disturb the dead and often tip toe around it, hence being a taboo. Yet Rulfo challenges this. Despite the main character knowing his father is dead, he still continues down the path to find information and know his father. This taboo is brought up many times and challenged a lot of times, by many characters.

We can approach literary texts from our different times and cultures by utilizing knowledge of the time period, author’s writing style, and people represented. When reading a literary piece based upon a time different from one’s own, the reader is immersed into a new world full of culture and traditions that they may not have known before. This can be better understood by researching the setting of the book like we did for Pedro Páramo. We can also reflect on how the author is connected to the piece of literature that they wrote. For example, Juan Rulfo incorporated events that he lived through like the Cristeros Revolution into the novel, and we know that this was not a good experience for his family. Therefore, it is understandable that the Revolutionaries are painted in an aggravating light. This can show the reader why the perspective of the book is the way that it is and can give a deeper meaning.

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Ella A, Brooke J, Lucy A, Sabrina D, Vibusha Vadivel

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Ella A, Brooke J, Lucy A, Sabrina D, Vibusha Vadivel

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Identity:
The identity of Pedro is revealed through literature in various ways. One example is the vignette with the women seeing Filoteo Archiga. Two women are walking in the town and they see a suspicious man following them. One of the women says, “Everyone says that he’s the one who gets the girl for Don Pedro. Which just missed being us” (Rulfo 43). This conversation implicitly shows how much power Don Pedro fields over the town. It is clear that he has many people working under him, bringing in women for him to rape.

The author’s identity is very significant in their creation as well. Juan Rulfo is very well known for tying in real events into his works. During a discussion between Pedro and a revolutionary, they talk about why they are rebelling. The revolutionary says, “‘We’ve rebelled against the government and against people like you because we’re tired of putting up with you. Everyone in the government is a crook, and you and your kind are nothing but a bunch of lockdown bandits and click thieves’” (Rulfo 97). Juan put a big part of himself into this novel because he put a part of history he lived through into it. This adds a sense of reality to the book and gives more context to the story.

The role of the identity of the reader is a very important part of the appreciation and interpretation of the novel. The defining relationship of reader-writer-text that we have discussed in this class represents the reader’s importance. All people have experienced different events within their lives and come from various backgrounds. This creates diversity of thought, and therefore, diversity of interpretation regarding the literature that they read. People are raised with conflicting ethical codes and this may allow for discussion as to Pedro’s true character. In addition, each interpretation of the literary devices, like archetypes (the tragic hero) give way to debate based on how the people talking define the lines of the archetype and character. People use their own lives to establish connections with the characters and plot which consequently means that every person gives importance to differing sections of the book.

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Literary texts can both represent and reshape reality. In the end, it depends on the genre of the literature. Pedro Páramo seems to be within the genre of Magical Realism, so the writing style of this novella includes adding unrealistic aspects to a realistic world that causes the literature to eventually reshape reality. For example, in the story, Juan is walking with Damiana and the book writes, “‘Are you alive, Damiana? Tell me Damiana!’ Suddenly I was alone in those empty streets” (Rulfo 43). Through this, it is shown that ghosts and the supernatural world are put into the novel, along with the human and realistic Juan. In this sense, reality and Juan’s normal human life is mixed and reshaped using Damiana’s supernatural character. Encountering ghosts and humans disappearing is considered a norm in the context of the book. While it is absurd, the indifference that Rulfo presents in the novel is what makes the writing style so powerful. It indirectly comments about how prevalent troubled souls are throughout the world and instead of noticing them and giving them attention, we choose to ignore them (ghosts are imaginary) or accept them as normal.

The act of representation can be problematic at times because certain groups of people may be represented incorrectly or disrespectfully. At the same time, if a certain group of people have a large lack of representation, that can pose a problem because the full story may not necessarily be represented. While this story doesn’t necessarily have the most diverse representation, it fits the setting. For example, there was a large representation of the importance of religion, which is shown when Abundio says, after his wife’s death, “I’ll tell her. I know she’s counting on you to pray for her. She died grieving because there wasn’t anyone to give her the last rites” (Rulfo 120). This shows that without final rites (a Christian tradition) to send her off into the afterlife, she has been “grieving” and therefore has a lot of faith in her religious beliefs about the afterlife, like many others in Comala. In another sense, there are characters that represent less common groups of people at that time - people like Pedro who represent the few that somewhat ignored religion. When Pedro asks to be married, Fulgor mentions “[Father Renteria] says you never come to mass. I promised him you would” (Rulfo 40). Meanwhile, Father Renteria is a character who represents the priests that may have doubted Catholicism and its ideals. After thinking about the people who have no hope of going to heaven because they cannot afford indulgences or masses, Father Renteria says, “It’s all my fault, he told himself. Everything that’s happening. Because I’m afraid to offend the people who provide for me” (Rulfo 30). Father Renetria represents the corrupt group of officials who wielded a lot of power and chose not to use their influence for good, but he eventually started realizing what he was doing. Rulfo uses the priest to convey his ideology toward that group of people and Father Renteria serves as a symbol (representative) for that group. Essentially, representation is significant in novels to give a complete understanding of the setting and story, and when immitted it can deliver a strong message whether that is controversial or ignorant.

Representation reveals and conceals underlying values and attitudes because the way that a character might be represented shows how the author views real life people with similar characteristics. In Pedro Páramo, it seems like Juan Rulfo understands that there are a lot of immoral actions that go into political figures and those involved in the government. He shows this through the dialogue of the revolutionaries: “‘Everyone in the government is a crook, and you and your kind are nothing but a bunch of lockdown bandits and click thieves. And as for the governor himself, I won’t say nothing, because what we have to say to him we’ll say with bullets’” (Rulfo 97). This shows Rulfo’s perception of the underlying values and attitudes within the government at the time of the Mexican Revolution and the presumed way that other political figures may act behind the scenes.

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Ella A, Brooke J, Lucy A, Sabrina D, Vibusha V 

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Ella A, Brooke J, Lucy A, Sabrina D, Vibusha V 

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Perspective:
Author’s often create and control voice and perspective by manipulating elements like point of view and time period. By changing perspectives such as 1st person and 3rd person author’s can explicitly and effectively change the direction of the plot. Specifically in Pedro Páramo,  Rulfo cleverly weaves in an out of 1st and 3rd person point of view very fluidly. In the same regard he shifts from past to present tense quite often. For example, Juan asks Dorotea, “‘Was that you talking, Dorotea?...’I heard someone talking. A woman’s voice” (Rulfo 78). This is one example of where Rulfo seamlessly moves between Susana and Juan’s perspective. Due to this the reader is now curious of who Susana is which drives the story forward and allows for the search for the message to continue.  Both of these elements help add to the depth and emphasis of the main idea of the text while still allowing the reader to create their own interpretations of the text by providing different perspectives.

On top of that some characters are more present than others. Intentionally he gives some characters specific backgrounds and expands on them because he uses their voice and perspective as commentary about society.  Especially in Pedro Páramo, Rulfo uses Juan’s perspective to explain the misery of the town and the inhabitant. Each person he meets has a  different story or comes forma a different background which helps the readers truly understand how intertwined the town of Comala was at the attitudes present during the time especially in Mexican culture. For example, Juan first sees Abundio who leads him to the town and then Eduviges who has a boarding house and accommodates him) and then to Damiana (who worked for his father Pedro and knew much about his family) and so forth.  Each of these characters provide one piece to the puzzle of understanding the cause of Comala’s downfall.

Perspective can impact the emotional and intellectual proximity of readers by connecting a character’s experience to their own. It can also change the way that people look at a certain situation. A lot of times authors will use their writing to bring up something that they may or may not agree with within the current world. They use a new perspective to show why that scenario might be damaging or unjust. They often also use  pathos, logos and egos to leave an impression on the readers and hence in a way manipulate their emotional and intellectual proximity so that they are more receptive to the author’s message. One specific example in the text, is the inner conflict of  Father Renteria who was worried that he was being unfair in giving people with more money a better advantage to get into heaven. Although this went with the very popular Catholic view of using indulgences to get people to heaven it is presented in a negative light which implicitly reveals the author’s own perspective about the topic. Perspective can easily show the beliefs and morals of a specific culture where various things are viewed negatively and positively, which can affect a reader or writer.

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Depending on the style of literary text, representation of and reshaping of reality are both possible. For example, an insightful literary text about peace can prevent warfare if extremely popular and/or effective. However, not all writings about peace can affect reality. On the other hand, all texts will somehow represent parts of reality because reality lays down the rules in which one can write. In other words, because writing is learned from reality, reality is what creates writing and, therefore, greatly affects what is written. The amount one reflects reality depends on his/her character and writing style. However, most concepts within stories are inevitably somehow influenced by reality mainly because reality is all that people know and can know. The act of representation can be problematic because something used to represent something else can possess qualities completely unrelated to what it represents. In other words, when representing one thing with something else, both things will have characteristic differences. Because of this factor, representing things via other things can cause disconnects between what readers understand and what the author intends for the reader to understand. However, this factor can also be used to help readers better understand the mood (of the author or story) acquainted with a certain concept. For example, in Pedro Paramo, the way Juan Rulfo represents the Catholic Church through Father Renteria shows his criticism of its ways. Rulfo could have represented the church through a benevolent man, which would have rather shown his compliments to the church; however, he used no such representation. In this sense, the way in which one represents something is reflective of the way he/she views that thing.

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Depending on the style of literary text, representation of and reshaping of reality are both possible. For example, an insightful literary text about peace can prevent warfare if extremely popular and/or effective. However, not all writings about peace can affect reality. On the other hand, all texts will somehow represent parts of reality because reality lays down the rules in which one can write. In other words, because writing is learned from reality, reality is what creates writing and, therefore, greatly affects what is written. The amount one reflects reality depends on his/her character and writing style. However, most concepts within stories are inevitably somehow influenced by reality mainly because reality is all that people know and can know. The act of representation can be problematic because something used to represent something else can possess qualities completely unrelated to what it represents. In other words, when representing one thing with something else, both things will have characteristic differences. Because of this factor, representing things via other things can cause disconnects between what readers understand and what the author intends for the reader to understand. However, this factor can also be used to help readers better understand the mood (of the author or story) acquainted with a certain concept. For example, in Pedro Paramo, the way Juan Rulfo represents the Catholic Church through Father Renteria shows his criticism of its ways. Rulfo could have represented the church through a benevolent man, which would have rather shown his compliments to the church; however, he used no such representation. In this sense, the way in which one represents something is reflective of the way he/she views that thing.

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Authors have a unique job when it comes to writing a novel: creating the perspectives of tens of different and complex characters. In Pedro Paramo, Rulfo controls the voices of characters and creates all the different characters’ perspectives as well, each unique in its own way. Likewise, authors not only create the perspectives of characters in the novel but also influence the perspective the novel is supposed to be read in. The author's perspective is critical to the understanding of a work, as it is the only perspective of someone who was involved in the creation of the book. Emotions and intellect are highly affected by perspective, as they bring a reader closer to understanding the meaning of a work. However, it’s the perspective of characters within the work that affects the readers’ emotions the most, as it allows the reader to relate more to the book and have a sense of commonality with the characters. It’s key for a character's perspective to be realistic and authentic; this is how readers can relate with characters and understand their predicaments to a greater extent. The writer’s perspective is majorly influenced by their culture and historical background, as these elements are commonly witnessed in the author’s work. For example, Rulfo’s Mexican culture influenced the book's spiritual and supernatural occurrences like the fiesta that occurs in the Media Luna; “There was a time when night after night I could hear the sounds of a fiesta. I could hear the noise clear out at the Media Luna. I would walk into town to see what the uproar was about, and this is what I would see: just what we’re seeing now. Nothing. No one. The streets as empty as they are now” (41). This quote embodies the spirited and otherworldly feel of the novel and is just one of the many examples of spirits and supernatural events that occur in Pedro Paramo. Rulfo’s Mexican heritage and culture led him to write a book that combines these elements, and the readers’ knowledge of Mexican culture, including the well known “Dia de Los Muertos,” or Day of the Dead, puts them into the story and allows them to better understand the meaning of these spiritual occurrences.

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Writers often borrow or make reference to ideas and techniques from other writers because their style is solely based upon prior experience and techniques that they like and don’t like. Upon this solid foundation of things once borrowed, an author creates an original style (such copied ideas develop into more unique branches until they are no longer unoriginal). Through this process, ideas and techniques are recycled, and with each turn, they are transformed into some different shape, placed in differing molds of context and originality. Depending on genre and writing style, some texts adhere more closely to conventions associated with their genre. Also affecting the way one adheres to a genre’s conventions is the manner in which he/she desires to convey ideas, how much he/she wants the story to be memorable, how much he/she desires uniqueness. It is extremely difficult to follow the literary conventions of a certain genre when one wants to create an extremely creative and original story. However, it is difficult to truly write a story of a certain genre without utilizing at least some of its conventions as a basis because such are solid patterns that have survived the tests of time. For example, it is hard to declare something a romance novel if it doesn’t have moments where one plans to confess, only to fail to some strange coincidence. Such moments are savory in romantic stories, and absence of them forces a story to be less enjoyable than it could potentially be. Literary works and readers have a transformative effect on each other because they both provide insight to one another. Writers generally try to write about experiences readers can relate to and enjoy, giving them more points of inspiration, while readers can then deeply enjoy moments the author carefully constructs around their own experiences. Additionally, authors can add extra messages to such experiences, for example, a predicted outcome as a result of something a reader may plan to do in the future; such messages can give readers a better understanding of possibility while giving the author a larger threshold for creativity.

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Writers often borrow or make reference to ideas and techniques from other writers because their style is solely based upon prior experience and techniques that they like and don’t like. Upon this solid foundation of things once borrowed, an author creates an original style (such copied ideas develop into more unique branches until they are no longer unoriginal). Through this process, ideas and techniques are recycled, and with each turn, they are transformed into some different shape, placed in differing molds of context and originality. Depending on genre and writing style, some texts adhere more closely to conventions associated with their genre. Also affecting the way one adheres to a genre’s conventions is the manner in which he/she desires to convey ideas, how much he/she wants the story to be memorable, how much he/she desires uniqueness. It is extremely difficult to follow the literary conventions of a certain genre when one wants to create an extremely creative and original story. However, it is difficult to truly write a story of a certain genre without utilizing at least some of its conventions as a basis because such are solid patterns that have survived the tests of time. For example, it is hard to declare something a romance novel if it doesn’t have moments where one plans to confess, only to fail to some strange coincidence. Such moments are savory in romantic stories, and absence of them forces a story to be less enjoyable than it could potentially be. Literary works and readers have a transformative effect on each other because they both provide insight to one another. Writers generally try to write about experiences readers can relate to and enjoy, giving them more points of inspiration, while readers can then deeply enjoy moments the author carefully constructs around their own experiences. Additionally, authors can add extra messages to such experiences, for example, a predicted outcome as a result of something a reader may plan to do in the future; such messages can give readers a better understanding of possibility while giving the author a larger threshold for creativity.

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Writers connect with readers to observe how their stories were enjoyed and how they affected readers’ lives, and readers connect with writers to know more and to better understand a story’s true meaning. When creating a book, authors form a main intention and then engineer a multitude of motives to reach that intention in a generally indirect manner; however, due to the more cryptic nature of books (especially compared with other ways to express stories), a story’s true meaning and separate meanings (either unintentional or not) are dependent on the reader and the way he/she thinks. In other words, while books are written around one or more central meanings, an infinity of interpretations can exist. In Pedro Paramo, the death of Juan Preciado can be interpreted in many ways. It is entirely possible that he is dead to begin with, though it is also possible that he dies in Comala out of fear as Dorotea suggests. In a sense, Juan Rulfo lays down the present, forcing the readers to interpret the past in the way they see fit. We all disagree in our responses to texts because we all have different standings and points of view on life, and, therefore, we value different things. The way we construe meaning is entirely dependent on such values and perspectives. Some may say that the “moral” of Pedro Paramo is to lead good lives (that are worthy of heaven); though, others (like me) may say that Pedro Paramo was written with the intent of creating a great and thoughtful story rather than conveying a message.

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Writers connect with readers to observe how their stories were enjoyed and how they affected readers’ lives, and readers connect with writers to know more and to better understand a story’s true meaning. When creating a book, authors form a main intention and then engineer a multitude of motives to reach that intention in a generally indirect manner; however, due to the more cryptic nature of books (especially compared with other ways to express stories), a story’s true meaning and separate meanings (either unintentional or not) are dependent on the reader and the way he/she thinks. In other words, while books are written around one or more central meanings, an infinity of interpretations can exist. In Pedro Paramo, the death of Juan Preciado can be interpreted in many ways. It is entirely possible that he is dead to begin with, though it is also possible that he dies in Comala out of fear as Dorotea suggests. In a sense, Juan Rulfo lays down the present, forcing the readers to interpret the past in the way they see fit. We all disagree in our responses to texts because we all have different standings and points of view on life, and, therefore, we value different things. The way we construe meaning is entirely dependent on such values and perspectives. Some may say that the “moral” of Pedro Paramo is to lead good lives (that are worthy of heaven); though, others (like me) may say that Pedro Paramo was written with the intent of creating a great and thoughtful story rather than conveying a message.

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A subunit of identity, culture is one of the main components that form the story’s plot, characters, and concepts. Everything in a story is written around an author’s culture because one’s culture is the film through which one sees everything. In Pedro Paramo, the setting is Catholic Mexico before and during the Mexican Revolution, which is based entirely upon Juan Rulfo’s Mexican culture and life in Mexico. If Rulfo was born in a different place, for example, Spain, his story would most likely take place in Spain, and the characters would, rather than reflect the relations between the conventional person and the corrupt powerful landowner, reflect something more related to Spain. Additionally, all religious concepts would be modified to fit Spanish culture and the entire plot would be changed to fit the events of Spain at the time. In this sense, an author’s culture is generally the defining point of an entire story, an axis which the story revolves around; a cultural change forms a different story. In order to fully understand the author’s cultural influence on a novel, readers need to put themselves in the book’s setting, conditions, and culture. It is key to forget familiar modern conventions, as such are not present throughout the book. The best way to comprehend a novel and its culture is to simply put oneself into the author’s shoes. Furthermore, once readers can understand a story’s culture, they can connect it with their own to better relate to and therefore increase understanding of the story as a whole.

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A subunit of identity, culture is one of the main components that form the story’s plot, characters, and concepts. Everything in a story is written around an author’s culture because one’s culture is the film through which one sees everything. In Pedro Paramo, the setting is Catholic Mexico before and during the Mexican Revolution, which is based entirely upon Juan Rulfo’s Mexican culture and life in Mexico. If Rulfo was born in a different place, for example, Spain, his story would most likely take place in Spain, and the characters would, rather than reflect the relations between the conventional person and the corrupt powerful landowner, reflect something more related to Spain. Additionally, all religious concepts would be modified to fit Spanish culture and the entire plot would be changed to fit the events of Spain at the time. In this sense, an author’s culture is generally the defining point of an entire story, an axis which the story revolves around; a cultural change forms a different story. In order to fully understand the author’s cultural influence on a novel, readers need to put themselves in the book’s setting, conditions, and culture. It is key to forget familiar modern conventions, as such are not present throughout the book. The best way to comprehend a novel and its culture is to simply put oneself into the author’s shoes. Furthermore, once readers can understand a story’s culture, they can connect it with their own to better relate to and therefore increase understanding of the story as a whole.

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A story is an extension of its author’s thoughts and character, and therefore are entirely determined based on the author’s personality. For example, in Pedro Paramo, the religious concepts reflect the possibilities Juan Rulfo wants to believe or thinks make the most sense. Different authors have their own unique thoughts and, therefore, create unique stories. Authors only write their stories based on their own desire, therefore, stories are unique for every person. In this sense, the author’s personality is the only thing that determines a story. In Pedro Paramo, Comala is the microcosm of the world Juan Rulfo views, including events he experienced, like the Cristero War. Likewise, the way readers interpret parts of a story depends on their idiosyncratic ways of thinking. For example, if a reader has a more optimistic personality, they may interpret meanings in the text in an optimistic manner rather than an entirely possible pessimistic one.

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A story is an extension of its author’s thoughts and character, and therefore are entirely determined based on the author’s personality. For example, in Pedro Paramo, the religious concepts reflect the possibilities Juan Rulfo wants to believe or thinks make the most sense. Different authors have their own unique thoughts and, therefore, create unique stories. Authors only write their stories based on their own desire, therefore, stories are unique for every person. In this sense, the author’s personality is the only thing that determines a story. In Pedro Paramo, Comala is the microcosm of the world Juan Rulfo views, including events he experienced, like the Cristero War. Likewise, the way readers interpret parts of a story depends on their idiosyncratic ways of thinking. For example, if a reader has a more optimistic personality, they may interpret meanings in the text in an optimistic manner rather than an entirely possible pessimistic one.

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Writing is used to create because of how fast and efficient it can be (especially compared to more visual ways of storytelling) and also because presence of only a single sense gives readers more room to interpret. For example, writers can create cryptic events that would be otherwise much less cryptic if the user could “see'' what really happened. However, note that meanings can be conveyed equally well between creative forms (especially writing and graphic novels), though novels have a wider threshold for reader interpretation. In Pedro Paramo, Juan Rulfo writes cryptically to better present spiritual concepts. An example of this is when Abundio kills Damiana and stabs Pedro, though Damiana seems to be alive afterwards (122-4). In progressions like this, what truly happens is for the user to imagine and the author to hint at and form a basis for. In this sense, the ways readers choose to relate a story to things in reality and interpret a story’s meanings completely depend on that reader’s creativity. Lacking creativity will make it extremely difficult for a reader to decipher the author’s true intentions, especially when there are multiple. To make effective works, authors combine reality and imagination so readers can better relate to and understand the author’s creativity. Lacking reality will make a book completely unrelatable and ununderstandable, leading to a poor reader experience, and, likewise, lacking imagination will make a book static and predictable, also leading to a poor experience. In the case of Pedro Paramo, Juan Rulfo combines his own suggestions about spiritualism with realistic life in a Mexican village during the 1920s, forming an immersive reader experience. Note that throughout his initial plot progression, it is evident that he tries to slowly deliver the story’s uncanny rules and Universe, or in other words, his creativity, demonstrating the need to form a deep reader understanding when creating successful stories.

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Writing is used to create because of how fast and efficient it can be (especially compared to more visual ways of storytelling) and also because presence of only a single sense gives readers more room to interpret. For example, writers can create cryptic events that would be otherwise much less cryptic if the user could “see'' what really happened. However, note that meanings can be conveyed equally well between creative forms (especially writing and graphic novels), though novels have a wider threshold for reader interpretation. In Pedro Paramo, Juan Rulfo writes cryptically to better present spiritual concepts. An example of this is when Abundio kills Damiana and stabs Pedro, though Damiana seems to be alive afterwards (122-4). In progressions like this, what truly happens is for the user to imagine and the author to hint at and form a basis for. In this sense, the ways readers choose to relate a story to things in reality and interpret a story’s meanings completely depend on that reader’s creativity. Lacking creativity will make it extremely difficult for a reader to decipher the author’s true intentions, especially when there are multiple. To make effective works, authors combine reality and imagination so readers can better relate to and understand the author’s creativity. Lacking reality will make a book completely unrelatable and ununderstandable, leading to a poor reader experience, and, likewise, lacking imagination will make a book static and predictable, also leading to a poor experience. In the case of Pedro Paramo, Juan Rulfo combines his own suggestions about spiritualism with realistic life in a Mexican village during the 1920s, forming an immersive reader experience. Note that throughout his initial plot progression, it is evident that he tries to slowly deliver the story’s uncanny rules and Universe, or in other words, his creativity, demonstrating the need to form a deep reader understanding when creating successful stories.

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Authors can use writing as an outlet to create because they have so much creative freedom on what to write or how they want to write it. During talks in the streets with Juan and Damiana, they speak about an eerie night Damiana experienced. She explained to Juan that she thought she had heard a loud fiesta only to find something else, “‘I would walk into town to see what the uproar was about, and this is what I would see: just what we’re seeing now. Nothing. No one. The streets are as empty as they are now’” (Rulfo 41). Rulfo was able to use his creative writing to add tension and suspense to the tone of the novel. He was able to cross the line between realism and fantasy. Rulfo is also a very well-known author and wrote two widely regarded Mexican novels. So, he knew he had a talent for writing and formulated great works during his prime.

Writers use imagination, craft, and reality to create compelling stories. These tools also create questions for the reader, which keeps us on our toes. An example is when Juan met Abundio and they had a normal conversation about their father. After Juan is in Eduviges’ house, she tells him, “‘He was a good man, one you could trust. It was him that brought the mail, and kept right on even after he went deaf’” (Rulfo 16). Juan expressed the reader’s confusion about the situation. Then later in the conversation Eduviges says, “‘Then it can’t have been him. Besides, Abundio died. I’m sure he’s dead’” (Rulfo 16). This made the story very compelling and drew the reader in. It made us question who Juan had talked to, who's right, and what this could mean for the future of the story.  Rulfo used realistic conversations and perfectly intertwined imagination to inspire the reader’s further investigation of the story.

Creativity plays a major role in the way readers respond to text. The author’s writing adds to how the reader interprets and understands the text. Rulfo’s creativity could be viewed in positive and negative light. The style he writes and all his commentary on taboos, the supernatural, disturbing the dead, the different perspectives and more add to the way the readers navigate to the text. During a conversation between Damiana and Juan in the streets, Damiana talks about something very strange happening around them. She describes the situation to Juan: ”’I would walk into town to see what the uproar was about, and this is what I would see: just what we're seeing now. Nothing. No one. The streets are as empty as they are now’” (Rulfo 41).  This creativity could be taken in multiple ways. This was magical realism and it blurred the lines of realism and fantasy. It was positive because it added feeling and got a reaction from the reader about Comola. It also could have been negative because it could be harder to understand what truly happened in the streets that night.

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Sabrina Dior, Brooke Jefferis, Lucy Andrews,Vibusha Vadivel, Ella Afshari

Final Communication: Authors can communicate with their readers by writing about experiences that a reader can relate to. Even in cases where the reader cannot relate, they may be interested in learning about something new. While these are both important aspects of communication that can make a work of literature more interesting for both parties, the most important thing for readers and writers to have in common is an interest in the same subject or topic. For example, Pedro Paramo is full of superstition and the supernatural, which would intrigue a reader with interests in those subjects.  A reader might also have read works written in a similar style or genre.

A writer may also use cultural experiences and references in their work. Juan Rulfo makes many references to events that happened during his lifetime, such as the Mexican Revolution, and places he had been, such as Sayula.

While an author may have intended for a piece to be understood a certain way, the reader might interpret it differently. The author has control over what they want the meaning to be, but they lack control over how the reader will interpret the text and respond to it. In a novel like Pedro Paramo, where things are constantly shifting and perspectives are changing, there are many ways to view the text that may not be what Rulfo intended. This is where disagreements come in. Each person has their own biases, cultural and life experiences that affect how they see the world. While one person may view something as morally correct, another person may feel the complete opposite.

Communication between author and reader can be very difficult to achieve, because everyone views the world differently and has had different life experiences.

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Representation 	To answer the question do literary texts represent or reshape reality, you need to think about that if you read a story or a book about a part of he world that you have never visited you would think that what the author wrote is the true and not think about the author maybe making parts of it up this both is with the culture of that part of the world and its history with the writer having the freedom to change whatever they want about it. The act of representation is problematic because representation varies from person to person what they want to include in their story and what they do not. representations reveal and conceal underlying values or attitudes, they show and conceal different values and attitudes of the people or the writer.

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Representation 	To answer the question do literary texts represent or reshape reality, you need to think about that if you read a story or a book about a part of he world that you have never visited you would think that what the author wrote is the true and not think about the author maybe making parts of it up this both is with the culture of that part of the world and its history with the writer having the freedom to change whatever they want about it. The act of representation is problematic because representation varies from person to person what they want to include in their story and what they do not. representations reveal and conceal underlying values or attitudes, they show and conceal different values and attitudes of the people or the writer.

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Transformation 	Writers often use other writers techniques and ideas to help shape their own. They don't just rip it off of the other writer's work, they take in the message and translate it into their own writing.every writer is different and have their own way of writing and even though they start and follow conventional ways of writing it's the unoriganl ideas of the writer that make their writing so interesting. Even the best writers still use basic writing techniques. The thing with writings is that the rules of writing have been around for a very long time and they have helped even the best writers. With different genres come different rules aswell. This leads into how literature teaches people about life. This leads to a transformative of the mind and thought process including the literary work itself. The effect of literature has affected people for all of its time on this earth. Just simple writing has changed the course of history. Its this effect from literature that has changed the minds of so many people in history and the world.

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Transformation 	Writers often use other writers techniques and ideas to help shape their own. They don't just rip it off of the other writer's work, they take in the message and translate it into their own writing.every writer is different and have their own way of writing and even though they start and follow conventional ways of writing it's the unoriganl ideas of the writer that make their writing so interesting. Even the best writers still use basic writing techniques. The thing with writings is that the rules of writing have been around for a very long time and they have helped even the best writers. With different genres come different rules aswell. This leads into how literature teaches people about life. This leads to a transformative of the mind and thought process including the literary work itself. The effect of literature has affected people for all of its time on this earth. Just simple writing has changed the course of history. Its this effect from literature that has changed the minds of so many people in history and the world.

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Perspective 	Perspective is very important in a story because it gives the writer the ability to choose from which person in the story they want to tell the story from. This is important because the perspective the writer chooses to write the story in completely changes the story this is not just because of the difference of him or i but it changes what you can add to the story because if you are writing in first person the writer can add what the main character is thinking but not saying which really just makes the direction.perspective impacts the emotional and intellectual proximity of the reader because it impacts how the reader feels when the story is being told in first person compared to it being told in third person. And to answer the question how are writers and readers perspectives influenced by their cultural and historical context, the way that people approach a book or a story is different for what region of the world you are in this is because of how you are thought and you learned through your life, this also applies to history being used to how you go to reading a story because of what you know about what maybe happened during the time the book was written or the time it is set in.

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Perspective 	Perspective is very important in a story because it gives the writer the ability to choose from which person in the story they want to tell the story from. This is important because the perspective the writer chooses to write the story in completely changes the story this is not just because of the difference of him or i but it changes what you can add to the story because if you are writing in first person the writer can add what the main character is thinking but not saying which really just makes the direction.perspective impacts the emotional and intellectual proximity of the reader because it impacts how the reader feels when the story is being told in first person compared to it being told in third person. And to answer the question how are writers and readers perspectives influenced by their cultural and historical context, the way that people approach a book or a story is different for what region of the world you are in this is because of how you are thought and you learned through your life, this also applies to history being used to how you go to reading a story because of what you know about what maybe happened during the time the book was written or the time it is set in.

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Communication 	Why some writers and readers connect on writing is because righting is just putting mind on paper. People sometimes relate to what the writer is saying and some don't. When a writer and a reader relate to each other it can make the piece of literature the reader is reading more interesting. It also helps the reader understand the writer and the ideas the writer is putting down easier. What authors also do is establish meaning to righting. They create a view on life or a subject. The thing is what is the line that an author has to cross for it to be the author's own meaning on that subject. This is difficult to enforce because there are so many people with the same point of view as another person.In Pedro Paramo the reader is looking through the view of a new comer to a town of ghost and as you get to know more and more of the people that lived in the town there starts to be a pattern. That pattern is sins and is it right that we are judged by the actions we make in our lives?, because sometimes life is wrong to innocent people that then have to do something that isn't that innocent. In this case Juan Rulfo created a story that gives meaning to the actions we do in our lives. I don't believe that an author owns meaning, but I do think that they help people see more meaning than what meets the eye. The whole point of writing is to challenge thought, to challenge our own minds. Authors don't only make stories, they make questions inside every reader's head. Some of those questions we can answer and some of them we disagree with because we can’t see it through are point of view. Literature needs people to disagree, it is how we grow as people and as writers and readers.

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Communication 	Why some writers and readers connect on writing is because righting is just putting mind on paper. People sometimes relate to what the writer is saying and some don't. When a writer and a reader relate to each other it can make the piece of literature the reader is reading more interesting. It also helps the reader understand the writer and the ideas the writer is putting down easier. What authors also do is establish meaning to righting. They create a view on life or a subject. The thing is what is the line that an author has to cross for it to be the author's own meaning on that subject. This is difficult to enforce because there are so many people with the same point of view as another person.In Pedro Paramo the reader is looking through the view of a new comer to a town of ghost and as you get to know more and more of the people that lived in the town there starts to be a pattern. That pattern is sins and is it right that we are judged by the actions we make in our lives?, because sometimes life is wrong to innocent people that then have to do something that isn't that innocent. In this case Juan Rulfo created a story that gives meaning to the actions we do in our lives. I don't believe that an author owns meaning, but I do think that they help people see more meaning than what meets the eye. The whole point of writing is to challenge thought, to challenge our own minds. Authors don't only make stories, they make questions inside every reader's head. Some of those questions we can answer and some of them we disagree with because we can’t see it through are point of view. Literature needs people to disagree, it is how we grow as people and as writers and readers.

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Creativity 	To answer the question why ( use writing to ) create, we have to think about how stories and why they are usually created. Books and stories are usually used to show something that happened either recently or in the past, and to show what that person wants to create, usually something that can't be physically created for one reason or another. And yes you could use something else to create this like pictures but that is very different than writing and not everyone can create a picture or a drawing especially in the past where cameras did not exist and it is really difficult to convey a story through a drawing. Writers use reality, imagination and craft to create effective and compelling works usually coming from something they thought of so a story scene or even a character, sometimes writers come up with their story from something they saw so this would be something that they saw in reality. Creativity plays a huge role in the way readers respond to texts because if it is something that they have already seen in the past it kind of seems like a let down and then it makes the reader feel like there is no real point to reading the story. But it is something new and exciting. It gets the reader hooked and entices him to continue reading. So with Pedro Paramo it is not really like any other book, not in what the idea of the story is and how the story is written. With Juan Rulfo he decided to have a lot of flashbacks to when the town of camala was still vibrant and thriving. Which is confusing but it is very unique and it keeps the writer interested.

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Creativity 	To answer the question why ( use writing to ) create, we have to think about how stories and why they are usually created. Books and stories are usually used to show something that happened either recently or in the past, and to show what that person wants to create, usually something that can't be physically created for one reason or another. And yes you could use something else to create this like pictures but that is very different than writing and not everyone can create a picture or a drawing especially in the past where cameras did not exist and it is really difficult to convey a story through a drawing. Writers use reality, imagination and craft to create effective and compelling works usually coming from something they thought of so a story scene or even a character, sometimes writers come up with their story from something they saw so this would be something that they saw in reality. Creativity plays a huge role in the way readers respond to texts because if it is something that they have already seen in the past it kind of seems like a let down and then it makes the reader feel like there is no real point to reading the story. But it is something new and exciting. It gets the reader hooked and entices him to continue reading. So with Pedro Paramo it is not really like any other book, not in what the idea of the story is and how the story is written. With Juan Rulfo he decided to have a lot of flashbacks to when the town of camala was still vibrant and thriving. Which is confusing but it is very unique and it keeps the writer interested.

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Culture 	Everyone is biased and is influenced in what they write by what they believe, there is no one in the world that is not biased because everyone makes up their own mind on what they believe, this is part of human nature. You can see this in a lot of stories, by what they chose to include in the story and what they decide to leave out. So in Pedro Paramo,  Juan Rulfo made a continuous decision to include the Mexican civil war 1910-1920 because he wanted to convey his thoughts about the war through the story. This also gives a glimpse of what the culture is in that region of the world or the specific town or city. 

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Culture 	Everyone is biased and is influenced in what they write by what they believe, there is no one in the world that is not biased because everyone makes up their own mind on what they believe, this is part of human nature. You can see this in a lot of stories, by what they chose to include in the story and what they decide to leave out. So in Pedro Paramo,  Juan Rulfo made a continuous decision to include the Mexican civil war 1910-1920 because he wanted to convey his thoughts about the war through the story. This also gives a glimpse of what the culture is in that region of the world or the specific town or city. 

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Identity

The identity of a group or an individual can be revealed through literature. This can be seen in a lot of Pedro paramo. A Lot of the identity of the ghost in the town comes from the way they are described in the literature. The way the people died is a look into their minds and morals. In the story the reader’s identity is a view of judgment and the judge are the people in the town and how the town is a place before heaven or hell but after life. We learn that the town was home to a lot of people that hurt each other. Putting it together each person of the town all fell to their own sins. It shows that good and bad drives us through life and after. The identity of the town is corrupt and just suffering. The identity of the people in the town is split because everyone in the town hurt someone else in some way.