Although I agree that knowing the author of a piece of writing is important when attempting to discern the true meaning, I also believe that it can hinder one’s ability to discern a text’s importance. Take for instance this quote from Benjamin Franklin:
“If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
This quote really resonates with you, and coming from one of America’s forefathers it is a great tip indeed. However, that was not Benjamin Franklin. The above is a line from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. And although the quote remains an excellent one, it no longer holds the same weight as if it were a direct quote from Benjamin Franklin. Here we can see the problems with believing a text to be from an author. We give words from historic or famous people a certain reverence that we would not otherwise. Who knows how many great works have been attributed, wrongly, to historically significant figures. As the old adage goes “don’t believe everything you read.”
I think you bring up a really good point. When I was reading this post I did find myself giving the quote more meaning when I though Benjamin Franklin wrote it. I think that we often are biased when reading a work by someone who is critically acclaimed and seen as an important historical figure. I remember once reading a quote to my sister that I liked a lot and telling her it was by someone she looked up to. When she heard recognized the name of the person who said the quote she immediately lit up and told me she loved the quote as well. When I told her I lied and the quote was by someone she wasn’t familiar with she seemed less enthusiastic.
I definitely agree that the quote you provided may have different meanings when we think they come from different sources. I would argue, though, that this difference is important. If the quote was from another source that meant it to be sarcastic or mocking, that would be lost without this knowledge. All we would have is our own interpretation, what we bring to the quote and take from it. This is not to say that that idea is a negative one, simply a different one.
What if Ben Franklin actually said that, and Harry Potter thought it was such a great quote that he used it too??
I think you bring up a really good point. As I was reading the quote in your post, the voice in my head changed to a more professional and “sage like” voice when I saw that Benjamin Franklin had said this statement. Coming from such a famous society figure, the quote made me stop and think for a bit to admire his vast knowledge. However, after seeing that this quote actually came from a Harry Potter book, I felt somewhat foolish to have automatically assumed that the quote must be of utmost importance. Knowing the author (whether it be of a quote, book, short story, etc.) definitely shapes how you interpret and view the work itself. This is a sad realization that the same exact words can have such a lesser impact on the reader, depending on the author’s popularity or importance.
When I first read Benjamin Franklin’s name as the person who stated the above quote, I couldn’t help but view your post in a very serious manner. However, after learning that the quote was instead taken from a line in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I viewed the post in an entirely different way, instead finding it to be much more comical. I think the fact that something as simple as a quote had the ability to change my entire perception of your post really says something in relation to the importance of the author on reader perception.