RESPONSE

What does Lethem’s section “Surrounded by Signs” with the assertion, “We’re surrounded by signs; our imperative is to ignore none of them” mean?(63) Why might Lethem’s idea in this section matter for our DS106 work? Explain with evidence from this section of Lethem’s text.

Lethem’s section on signs has to do with the perception of what we see. Meaning that there are signs we can see and signs we cant see. The hidden factor of objects in the world brings together the beauty it can possess. For example, a Wild flower blooming naturally atop a lonely mountain. It is a sign that there is a chance for re-growth everywhere. To ignore this flower you could be ignoring your fate, also meaning that that sign was put there for a reason for you to see it the way you did.

This matters for our DS106 work because we all see different things in different ways. For example, I see the fact that I left my family to go to college as a good thing (I am starting a new life). Whereas other people will see it as a bad thing, saying that I abandoned them. As Lethem said it, from Heidegger, says ” The tendency of en-framing encourages us to see the objects in our world only in terms of how they can serve us or be used by us”, which holds true to my case about the flower.

No one would care that the flower was struggling to bloom on that bairn mountain. Except for the one who thought, maybe I can Snap this and caption it with some whimsical quote. In a technologically driven world we are drawn to things that look pretty, or look cool. So that we can show them to others. That being said it is imperative to ignore the flower – the sign.

DISCUSSION

OTHER/REPLY