"Alogical Pattern"

        Shen’s essay is a very interesting read for me.  My interest is particularly drawn to the “Alogical Pattern” of the Chinese critical approach “yijing”, which is the practice of envisioning and creating a picture of the piece of literature that one is reading.  It is not a process of “logical” thinking according to Shen and most Chinese critics, but it is a very creative and critical process.   “Thinking is conducted largely in pictures and then ‘transcribed’ into words” (Shen 464).  I find this process of thinking, which is totally “non-western”, is actually called for in mostly narrative essays and is strikingly similar to what we call sensory images.  Every semester, incoming college freshmen that I tutor are usually given narrative essays for their first assignments.  The prompt would direct them to use sensory imagery to “make the reader feel like they are there”.   Most students,  most of the time, would have difficulty in  developing and using sensory details.   For example, if a student were to describe the weather on a particular day in a narrative, he/she would usually write along the lines of “It was hot that day”.  With sensory imagery, using words that would create that image of  “It was hot that day”, the sentence would probably turn to “I was caught in the great wavering swell of mid summer with the sun well in its zenith”, or something like that.  This style really does place more emphasis on experience and creativity than anything else.  It's showing, not telling which is just like yijing.  

I believe that most students have difficulty with sensory images because they are not brought up with this mode of thinking.  It’s usually just straight to the point.  However, I’ve tutored many Chinese ESL students and they too have had difficult with yijing or sensory imagery or pictorial images as well.  Shen does state that he was well educated in Chinese composition, so I guess that may explain it.  In any case, I really like the “yijing” approach from a creative standpoint.  

There’s already been some comments on how Shen touches on some of the issues of identity in terms of language and culture and I really do empathize ESL students as they try reconcile their native and American identities. I do think Shen’s essay is useful in helping teachers be aware of some of the cultural/idealogical differences in composition.