Looking Below the Surface
If a writer of prose knows enough about what he is writing about he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them. The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one-eighth of it being above water. – Ernest Hemingway
In writing, it is important to find the balance of omission. In some circumstances, writers omit words, thoughts, or expressions, so the reader is left to ponder and discover what is under the surface of the text. There is also the occasional writing that leaves vital information out due to the lack of knowledge or general understanding of the content. When a writer omits suggestive messages with the purpose of revelation in mind, then the readers reach an epiphany. When a writer omits a point because of lack of understanding, the reader reaches a hole and is lost in transition. Effective writing balances on the crucial aspect of omission. Sometimes the most important messages should be seen only if readers are willing to look below the surface.
Throughout my writing process this semester, I have toiled with omission due to lack of general knowledge of the subject. It very easy to just leave a particular idea out due to the long process of research and discovery. However, this class has challenged me to break away from that mannerism. This class greatly contrasted my expectations, but ultimately allowed me to grow to my best potential as a writer. After gathering information about my subjects for my essays, I was faced with the decision of what information should be left above the surface, and what message should be underneath for the readers to uncover. For my essays, I chose to leave certain aspects under the surface of the text in hopes that readers would draw the connections.
In my essay on the Dave Chapelle skit, I initially started my introduction by describing the character Clayton Bigsby as a blind, black man. After serious consideration, I realized I had given the readers too much information. My essay was completely above water, and their was nothing for the readers to uncover. I decided that it might be interesting to leave out the fact that he was blind. The essay now had a very important unresolved question pertaining to why a black man would be a white racial supremacist. Leaving this detail out did not hurt the humor of the essay, because the comedic value in a black man believing in white power was still there. By not stating that Clayton Bigsby was blind, readers were able to come upon the revelation later within the essay when the theme of blindness was discussed. It was a challenge deciding how to leave out that fact without leaving a hole in the essay. I feel like I learned an effective way to find balance of omission in regards to Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory.
For my essay on the adaption of the vampire character in literature in cinema, I again applied the Iceberg Theory. As I painted several examples of how the vampire has evolved from the evil villain to the handsome heroin seen in the 21st century, I made sure to allow readers to make connections on their own through these examples. I specifically discussed differences in appearance, behavior, and relationships, while simply implying reasons for this drastic change. If I had stated why the vampire had changed as time as progressed, then readers would not be challenged to think on their own. They would read the essay with very little effort to stop and ponder on why it is the way it is. On the surface, readers were presented with different aspects of the vampire that has changed. While below the surface, it was left up to them to decide the reasoning behind the change.
I also chose to write my biography in third person on the same idea that good writing involves placing information below the surface. Although it is written in third person, my title is “Now I See”, which implies the girl is me. I felt as thought first person lacked that mystery and complexity that is needed to engage a reader. On the surface readers are informed about a girl and her revelation she herself experiences, but they draw the connections as they realize the girl is actually me.
Effective writing consists of the perfect ratio of given information and omission to captivate the readers while still leaving them to fall upon their own revelations. Before this class, I was not preoccupied with reader awareness. I said what I felt was necessary, disregarding the idea that I might be saying too much or to little. However, as I have been exposed to many adaptions and parodies, I found what truly makes a good story, adaption, or comedy successful in the eyes of the reader, listener, or viewer. A productive essay exposes the readers to the tip of message, while submerging the rest of it below the surface to be discovered with deep thought.
With Eyes I See 