Capstone 1.
Auna Springer
Pt. 1. Debate: Wikipedia states that electronic literature is created specifically to be used in a
digital setting, but electronic literature can be used in so many other settings than just e books. A form of literature that is electronic literature but in the print form is ergodic literature. Ergodic literature takes the reader on a path that isn’t linear, which is exactly what electronic literature does with hyperlinks and other mediums that take the reader on many different paths. Espen J. Aarseth brings up this concept in Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature. “ In ergodic literature, nontrivial effort is required to allow the reader to traverse the text ‘. Aarseth brings up the concept of ergodic literature being cybertext by the way the reader goes through the reading. Reading cybertext, electronic literature, or ergodic literature are all the same making it one way of reading. In turn it makes it possible for electronic literature to be in print form. Another example of literature that can be transformed into electronic literature is Lessons by Justin Torres. Lessons is a small series of short stories that in any arrangement can still make sense. Just like many other adventure game stories no matter what path is chosen there is still a story and that story can be put into print form, thus proving that there is more to electronic literature than just the digital versions of what has been written or put forth.
Pt.2 Revise: The definition of electronic literature for the initial definition doesn’t match up with
the rest of what is on the page.
Electronic Literature also known and Digital Literature is a genre of literature which
covers a broad range of writing that is interactive and more than just words on a page. Electronic literature can be viewed and created on different mediums on and off the web. Though most electronic literature consists of e books or even blogs there is more to the concept than just being web based. Katherine Hayles stated “Electronic literature, generally considered to exclude created on a computer and (usually) meant to be read on a computer.’ Hayles brings up the point that electronic literature is considered to exclude print
literature but that isn’t necessarily true because there are many other forms of
literature that can be considered digital literature without actually being digital. A
form of literature that can be considered digital literature on and off the web is
ergodic literature which is a form of literature that takes more than just reading
words and turning pages. Espen J. Aarseth wrote in his book Cybertext: Perspectives
on Ergodic Literature “The cybertext reader is a player, a gambler; the cybertext is a
game world or world game; it is possible to explore, get lost, and discover secret
paths in these texts, not metaphorically, but through the topological structures of the
textual machinery “. Aarseth brings up the ability to explore, get lost, and discover
with cybertext which is true with a lot of the electronic literature just due to the use
of hyperlinks and different paths that the reading can take the reader on.
Pt.3 Works cited:
Hayles, Katherine. “Electronic Literature: What Is It?” Electronic Literature: What Is It? N.p., 2 Jan.
2007. Web. 05 Mar. 2015.
Aarseth, Espen J. Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins UP,
1997. Print.
Torres, Justin. “Lessons.” 1 | | Granta 104: Fathers | Archive | Granta Magazine. Granta, n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2015.
Pt.4 Reflection:in Capstone 1 I decided to go with the MLA format mainly because I honestly had no clue what format Wikipedia was using with their citations. I feel like going with MLA was a good call just because it is the most commonly used source of citing work. I also decided to change the definition because I felt that the initial definition and the rest of the wiki didn’t add up like the fact that digital literature can only be digital but later on the wiki stated that there are other forms of electronic literature that aren’t even entirely electronic. I really hope i did a good job. Honestly I have no clue what my “rhetorical situation” is other than that the wiki itself was going in two different directions with what it was supposed to go with.
