BETTS, Doris. Fiction, Induction and Deduction

8/20/2019 BETTS, Doris. Fiction, Induction and Deduction

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3/12

Dor is

Betts

Dir

ec tor of

Fre

shman

-Soph

omore

Engli

sh

at U.N

.C. C

hapel

Hill N

.C . He

r fifth

book

of

fi c

t ion

T

he R

iver

to Pick le

Beac

h ,

was

pu

lished

by H

arper nd

Ro

w in 1

972.

Ear ly

each s

emes

te r in

a new

crea ti

ve w ri

t ing

c

lass , 1

g lanc

e arou

nd th e

se m i

nar tab

le an

d

try

separ

a t in g

by visu

a l c lu

es th e

dedu

ct ive

f rom t

he ind

uct ive

reaso

ners.

I can

a lmo s

t d

o

th

is by a

pp ly in

g sy ll

og ism

s

of

m

y own

.

Tha t

one : p

enc i l

poised

ove r

page

one of

a

new c

ompos

i t ion n

otebo

ok. H

e

will

w

ant a

sh

or t s t

o ry ch

alked

out

w i

th r is in

g ac t

ion ,

cl ima

x, and

deno

umen t

on my

b l

ackbo

ar

d

,

a

nd he

wi l l c

o py it

w i th s

tra igh

ter l ine

s than

m i

ne. T

he ha

iry stud

ent

li kes All

en Gin

sbe

rg

and

Watts

, read

s Far in

a; he

l l ske

tch T

hor and

S

pider

Man

during

c lass o

n a s

heet

of

pape

r

he

bor row

s from

the

f i rst.

Wh i le

I d isco

urse

on W

ayne

C Boo

th , he

wi ll

scr ibb l

e ad je

c

t ives a

b o ut o

rgasm

.

Be

side h

im sits

a gi

rl who p

lans

to rec i

te

Kah l

il G ib r

an at

her

outdo

or wedd i

ng ce r

e

mony .

She

wi l l m

arry so

meon

e ve

ry much

l ike

the nearby nai lb iter. I p ictu re the

pair

teach

ing c

raf ts in

a su

m m e r

camp ,

readin

g eac

h

oth

er

s

ha iku

s abo

ut the

Appa l

achian

s.

Eac

h Autu

m n , s

eeing

th is sp

ectru

m , I de

c la re

a

new a

prefe

rence

for

tea

ch ing

h ind s

igh

t

l i te

rature

ove r

fo res ig

h t s to

ry-wri

t ing , o

ne

cour

se ins

tead

of

fiftee

n t u to

r ia l co

urses

, w i th

su

bject m at

ter w h

ich w o

uld

for once

hold

still

and

wear

tags.

Bi ldu

ngstom

an. P

icares

que.

GO

f

C OO

J

M

· .

.

r J.

76

Grace

in F l

annery

O Co

nnor .

The e

xisten

tial

ism o

f John

Fow l

es.

The

re , too

, som e

of

th

e ta

gs w o u ld

c la t t

e r to

th

e c las

s room

floo r

. The

poles

wou ld

touch

an

d retou

ch in

a c

ircu lar

f l

ow

fr

o

m rea

der t

o

wri te

r, pre

m ise

to c

o

nc

lusion

, spec

i f ic an

d

general, deduct ive- induc t ive. ut in a w rit ing

cou

rse it

seems

espe

cia l ly

ne cess

ary to

work

b

ack

war

d

in o

rder to

a

rr ive a

nd I e

nvy an

nu

al ly th

e chem

ists a

nd m a

them a

tician

s who

are

ope

ning a

mo re

or

derly sem

este r

in nea

rby

bu ild

ings. W

hile

their

s

t udent

s lear

n , m in

e

m

ust le

arn , u

nlearn

, and

relear

n. Ho

w to

d

o it

th i

s year

? Ho

w to re

ach

the hai r

y exp

ressio n

ist as

we

ll

a

s the y

oung

man w

hose

ob

je

c t

ive

a

nalyse

s

of

M

oby

ick

we

re fam

ous in

h

i

s

prep sc hoo l , th e gir l who stil l re re ad s

B lack

P

u

e <

co

r

s

H

T

S

OO

L


4/12

ea

uty as

w e

ll as

the

boy

w ho

se

pom

pos

it y ,

he s

ays,

com

es s

tra i

gh t

fr om

Joh

n B

arth

so

m us

t be

som

eth

in g

else

.

The

c h ie

f pr

ob le

m in

a f

ic tio

n w

rit ing

co

urse

is

ho

w to

te

ach

f lux

and

f lo

w

to stu

den

ts w

ho

ha

ve a

l rea

dy a

rran

ged

t he

m se

lves

a lo

ng s

om e

s

ca le

of e

ithe

r-o r

cho

ices

and

a tt

ache

d th

em

se l

ves

in p

la ce

by

suct

io n.

Eve

n in

the

spe

ctfu l

, w a

iting

s iie

nce

of

our

f irs t

c las

s

m

eet

in g

I can

an

t ic ip

a te

the

argu

m en

ts

Sel

f-exp

ress

io n,

h a l

f w il

l say

. S

e lf-d

isc i

p line

,

f if t

y pe

rcen

t w i

l l re

jo in .

Ex

p lor

e or

rev

ise.

Inte

llec

t/em

ot io

n O

rga

nic v

s. m

ech

anic

a l

fo rm

. T

rad

it ion

a l or

ex

perim

en

ta l?

W il

l the

y

be

gr

aded

, the

y as

k un

eas

i ly,

for e

ffo r

t

o

r

in

nat

e ta l

ent?

T e

ach

us h

ow

to

m

ake

sto

rie s

and

we l

l ma

ke s

ome

. N

o,

let us

m a

ke s

to rie

s

R ~

G

R

and

t hu

s d i

scov

er h

ow.

W h

at is

t he

d

iffer

en

ce b

etw

een s

lick

an

d lit

e ra r

y?

Art a

nd

e

n ter

ta inm

ent

? I

w rit

e f

or my

se lf.

I w

rite

fo

r

a re a

der

. I w

rite

fo

r a ce

rta i

n re

ader

. I w

rite

for

the

page

i ts

elf .

The

on ly

co

rrec

t ans

w er

to t

h is

conf

used

cho

rus

is :

No.

And

e ve

ry S

epte

m b

er b

r ings

th

e ch

a lle

nge

to d evis e a sy llabus w h ich wil l

c

onv

ey to

e a

ch s

tude

n t th

at,

in w

r it in

g fic

tio n

,

the

aim

of th

e s

o lo is

t is

to s

in g

in un

is on

w h

ile

s t

and i

ng a

t th

e No

rth

and

Sou

th P

oles

.

(

And

no

mix e

d m

etap

hor

s, e i

th er

.)

A ll w

r it in

g c

ours

es h

ave

to

s

tart

som

ewh

ere

am

ong

th e

cho

ices

of e

xtre

m es

, an

d m

ost

b

egin

f ro

m fr

eed

om .

M o

st of

the

te a

cher

s,

a fte

r all

, a re

a ls

o w

riters

w h

o co

nsid

e r t

hem

sel

ves se lf-em ancipated. Early a ssig nments

w

il l be

op

en-e

nde

d. A

c

hara

cter

sket

ch.

A

d

esc

r ip ti

on.

Rea

d W

elty

, M a

nsfie

ld ,

Che

khov

,

P o

rte r

, Pla

th , B

arth

e lm

e , O

ates

, Ka

fk a ,

Joy

ce,

a

nd F

it zg

era ld

. B

rin g

in a

poe

m.

Kee

p a

n

ote

book

of

id ea

s.

W ith

out

m uc

h g

u ida

nce o

r

adv

ice

stud

e nts

w il

l p lu

nge

in to

the

ir ow

n

fi r

s t s t

orie

s an

d s

ink or

sw

im t

here

. Th

ey

re

ad

th es

e fir

s t e

ff ort

s a lo

ud;

clas

sm a

te s

deb

ate

th e

gen

era l

effe

ct.

B roa

d ly ,

ver

y

b roadly . W ith second stories, the cr it ic ism

b

ecom

es

g ra

dua l

ly m

ore

prec

ise.

T h

e sp

ira l

of th

e s

y llab

us t

ig h t

ens

as th

a t m

an

uscr

ip t i

s

rev

is ed

. Pe

rha

ps th

e s

tu d

ent fe

els

it co

m es

r ig

h t w

ith

a c

lick ,

as Y

eats

sai

d a

poe

m w

ould

,

lik

e a c

losin

g b

ox.

Idea

s ab

out

th e

natu

re o

f

fic

ti on

em e

rge

from

th e

s to

ries

th e

mse

lv es

.

T

he t

each

er-w

rite

r, su

sp ic

io us

o f

ru le s

an

d

f

earf

ul o

f d is

cove

ring

t ha

t he

h as

a lw

ays

b ee

n

Low

er L

eft :

D

raw

ing

by M

Jo

y H

a rtm

an (m

othe

r}

To

p r i

gh t

D ra

w in

g by

Har

vey

H ar

tm an

Low

er r

igh t

D

raw

ing

y L

ee H

artm

an

To

p r i

gh t

awi

ng y

Ju

dy

Hart

m an

Lo

we

r r ig h

t

Drawing by R o ger Hartman

77


5/12


6/12


7/12

d

er

f

ound

th is

leap to o

wide

. Said

David

,

Yo

u don

't kno

w you

rself v

ery

well.

But

we ar

e

back

in

t im

e and

both

boys a

re

ch

ild ren.

Ente

r the f

irst -gr

ade te

acher

, who

kn

ew-co

rrect

ly-ho

w

l i

m i ted

th

eir

e

xper i

ences

were

and

ho

w

l im

ited

the

ir

c

onclus

ions

wer

e boun

d to b

e. He

r jo

b was to

w

ider

co

ncepts

. Bec

ause

David'

s m ot

her wa

s kind

h

e t

hough

t

, i

nduct i

ve ly ,

ll m ot

hers w

ere.

His

exam

ples

w

r

in

adequ

ate . A

lexan

der 's

fa

ther, o

n the

oth

er hand,

was a

d icta

to r

in

th e ho

m e an

d Alex

ander

asso

ciated

th ose

tra its

w ith

malen

ess an

d pow

er. Th

e tea

cher

cou

ld not

trans

m it ge

ograp

hy by

s ippi

ng the

c lass

to Spa

in . Th

ey wo

u ld ha

ve to

take

he

r

word

fo

r

th

e flig

hts of

atoms

, the

co lo

r

o

f the

sto

m ach

lin ing

, the e

xisten

ce of

Georg

e W as

h

in

gton.

She t

aught

the bo

ys pre

mises

a m

il

l ion pr

ior m

inds h

ad le a

ped to

, and

showe

d

the

m m o

re f re

quent l

y

how to a

pp ly th a

n

to

t

est th

em . S

in ce v

erbs w

ere a

c tion w

ords ,

run

was

a verb

. I

f

on

e

got into

w

hethe

r the

c

hicken

or egg

came

fi rs t , f

irst-g r

ade w

ould

la st a

lifet im

e. The

Latin

de a

nd d

u e re

mea

n le

ad from

, and

she

led fr o

m trum

ps.

She

taug

h t s x-

year-o

ld s wh

at the

State

28

De

partm

ent o

f Publ ic

Inst r

uct ion

said s

ix

y

ear-ai

ds sho

u ld kn

ow . M

axim

s spro

uted o

n

her bu llet

in boa

rd , w i

th il

lustratio

ns from

la

d ies ' m

agaz

in es.

LEARN

ING

S FUN

, said

one. A

lexan

der an

d Dav

id had

forgo

tt en th

e

lack

of fun

in

lea

rn ing

that be

es w i

l l st ing

.

S i

nce le

arning

was f

un, an

d sinc

e they

wou l

d

le a

rn

now th ings

on a

fie ld

tr ip to

the wo

ods,

th e

f

irst g

rade

w ould

have

fu n on

the f i

e ld

tr

ip . As

it tu r

ned

out, Dav

id hat

ed th e

f ield

tr ip b

ecause

he

got p

o

is

on ivy

when

some

body

pu sh

ed h

im into

a th

icket. A

lexand

er

p

ushed

him- i

m

ita

ting h

is fath

er- an

d con

firme

d fo r h

im sel

f that f

ie ld tr

ips w

ere fun

.

A lex

ander

trace

d the

outl ine

of a

map

le leaf

an

d show

ed its

fa l

l

c

olors

w ith h

is cr

ayo la

c

rayon

. Davi

d was

too

itchy to

d

raw p ictur

es

and

had f

ound

a sma

shed s

lu g on

h is s

hoe

so

le .

In the

libra

ry

,

A lexa

nder l

ooked

up

dec idu

ous t

rees s

o he

could

repor t

to th

e

c lass

what

a m

aple wa

s. Da

vid co

u ld f in

d no

raw in

g y

Lee H

artman


8/12

re

fe renc

es abo

ut ho

w s lug

s per

is h un

der

p

ressu

re ,

how t

hat feels

to th e

s lug.

And

w hy

had A

le xan

de r to

uched

t he s

ame th

ree- le

afed

pl

ant an

d cau

ght no

rash?

W ha

t f irst

g rade

t

eache

r had

the t im

e

to recon

c ile bo

th bo

ys

expe

rience

s?

or Ale

xande

r , scho

o l

did

wha

t it p

romise

d. o

r Davi

d, it w

ould

be

up

h ill a

ll the

way .

Their

separa

tion h

ad

begu

n .

Sat

urdays

, in d

ifferen

t neig

hborh

ood s,

both

bo

ys wa

tched

t elev

is ion.

Dedu

ct ive m

ethod

was

everyw

here ,

untes

te d. B

oys w

ant

to g

row

big

and

stro ng

. W on

der B

re ad c

ontain

s

tw

elve

essent

ia l foo

d elem

ents.

Boys

w ho

eat

W ond

er Bre

ad w il

l be b

ig and

stron

g. On

e

boy

gr

ew talle

r

t

han th

e othe

r, eat

ing no

th ing

b

ut Tip

T op

and M

erita.

They

could

see

throug

h tele

vision

.

Bo

th stu

d ied t

wo ho

urs

for a h i

s tory

te st.

T hei r

score

s wer

e wide

apar

t. A t

tw elve

,

raw i

ng

y N ina H

ar tm a

n

David

had a

m yst

ica l ex

per ien

ce inv

o lving

a

dead

frie nd

. A le

xande

r fell

out of

his de

sk

laug

hing.

In th

e seve

nth g

rade,

a new

g

irl

m

oved

to town

. She

liked

A lexa

nder s

joke

s

b

e t ter

th an D

avid s

conf i

dence

s. He

sto pp

ed

con

fiding

. In th

e te n

th gra

de, a

d if fere

n t g ir

l

fo

und A

lexand

er too

f l ipp

ant an

d Dav

id to o

re serv

ed and

chos

e the

footba

ll cap

ta in o

ve r

both.

Davi

d conc

luded

that

gir

ls were u

npre

d ic

table.

A lexa

nder

dec ide

d th i s

p rti

cul r

g

irl

d

id no t

m eet

h is st

andard

s. By

now

th

eir

resp

onses

to ex

per ien

ce ~ r

d iv

erg ing

more

.

Fo

r Alex

ander

, the y

ears

arrang

ed the

m

s

elves

in

t

o s

yllogis

m s. He

cho

se o

, hel

d it

up to

life , a

nd so

m etim

es l i fe

c ol la

psed

with

-

out h is

not icin

g. M e

antim

e, Dav

id

grew

suspic

ious o

f all g

enera

lit ies w

h ich

did no

t

spr in

g st ra

igh t fr

om th

e spin

a l cor

d . He

fa v

ored t

he im m

ediat

e and

spont

aneou

s so

m

uch th

at he

was o

ften ta

rdy, r

ude , a

nd eas

ily

dist r

ac ted.

A

t seve

nteen

th ey a

rgued

a bou

t God

and

death .

A lex

ande r

won.

He s

et up

prem is

es

and

def ini

t ions . H

e d i

sm em

bered

David

by

So

crat ic

metho

d. Da

vid, w

ho ha

d neith

er

died

~

·

-

-. ..-k

28


9/12

nor seen God

-yet- def

ended h imse

lf as

an exis te

ntial ist. Ale

xander rede

fined h im as

s loppy-mind

ed. The ne

xt fal l they

regis tered

D e

mocra t and

Republ ican

. Both fe l t s

e t apar t

from

the common

herd of m

en which wa

s,

to David

, insens itive

and con for

mist , to A le

x

ander, i r rat io

nal and und

isc ip l ined.

They

rarely

saw each ot

he r except

in the c i ty

librar

y

wh

ere one was

reading Ma

c h iavel li and

o

ne was read

ing Jung , o

r Wi lhelm R

eich

and

Wi l liam Bu

ckley, o r Jos

e ph Hel ler

and

Saul B

el low, or Ril k

e and Nietz

sche ,

etc. etc. e

tc.

ow

the

y face each

othe

r

in my

f ic t ion

writing

sem

inar

as

i f the table

between wer

e a

bo

t tomle

ss

ab

yss. In th i s

tax-suppor te

d

inst it

u t ion I

mu

st

teach both ,

and both, be

ing

c

rippled and one-s id

ed, wi l l be u

nhappy

half

Dra

w ing y N ina

Ha rtm an

the t ime.

I know (ind

u c tively) tha

t David 's

work may h

ave more ea

rly intens ity

and

power, that

he wil l resis t c

r i t i c ism and

rewr it

ing , a

nd that

he e

xpects a

gu ru

f

or

a teach

e r.

A lexand

er wi l l be im

pat ient unles

s I can

just i fy and

expla in my l

it e

r

ry taste;

he

d

epl

or

es sensi t iv i ty

tra in ing , an

d he wi l l

write

intr ica

te p lots and

sub-plots.

It ha

rdly matters

whic

h half of

the class

starve

s first. I cho

ose to let Da

vid starve;

he

has a l rea

dy been tra in

ed to it by

public edu

cat ion. In S

ep tember, to

o, I can

work

bet te r

w ith

dead p

ro

se

than wi th r

ash prose;

teachers w

ith o th

er

tem

peraments

may s tar t

a

t the opposi

te po le.

The im

portant th ing

is to break

down both

the deduc

t ive and ind

uct ive extrem

es so they

can

be

seen m

ore l ike the

ir physica l c

ou nter

p

arts the le f t e

ye and the ri

ght eye. Ste

reo

scop ic vi s io

n. The prop

e r s tance

for a f ict ion

writer is Fitzge

rald 's: The

te st

of

a firs

t-rate

inte ll

igence is its

abi l i ty to ho

ld two d iam e

tr i-

1

p.h

s : ~

_ _

·

-

i H

o rf

naf1

•

•

•

Th

t?r q

r m

ny

.

s

o ,

.

l

on

.

._

he

tr _

__ O

r

1

rs ver-

tt

o

m

· l

h

o \ o

t

•

~

an

ts

.

pe

1 . 1

r

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I •

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--

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-

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8


10/12


11/12


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Documents

BETTS, Doris. Fiction, Induction and Deduction