Taking an approach

Harris has talked about some types of rewriting techniques so far, and the technique he introduces in this chapter seems pretty different from previous ones. He tells that previous ones are” ways of marking out [our] words and ideas from those of the texts [we] are working with“, and by doing so we create a dialogue shape in our writing. For most academic essay, he says, we are merely applying “the idea of a writer to a certain subjects, with the aim not so much of testing those ideas but if proving their validity”, or providing more examples of what already had been argued by others. However, taking an approach is different. It seemed so similar with forwarding when I first read Harris’s description in this chapter, but he makes clear of his point about it. Simply, whatever he talked in previous chapters are rewriting others’ ideas or arguments while taking an approach is rewriting their style. We need to transform others’ writing into our own, which is not merely replaced or rebutted. He gives the easiest example for us, music. We have seen so many songs were rewritten into different styles by different singers, and they should be creative and original while keeping the same message to their audience. That is the same for films, paintings, and writings. Any types of “text” can be taken an approach and the audiences can decide which is good or bad. Harris gives three ways of taking an approach in this chapter, acknowledging influences, turning an approach on itself, and reflexivity, and these help us, writers to rethink and rewrite others’ work, and make stronger bond between the two.