It's Still Writing

In the next portion of Joseph Harris’s book, the chapter of countering becomes the next point of focus. Through this chapter, I very simply definition for the literary term of countering, is when someone simply reads a writing, and decides to compose another paper about the same topic. However this time, the new author may take the originator’s ideas and write about it in a new sense. Harris uses the phrases of ‘On the other hand’ and ‘Yes, but’ to portray the meaning of countering a position of a reading. Through this way of critiquing, the means of highlighting a paper’s weaknesses or showing the limit of the topic at hand are ways in which a person may counter someone’s words. It is not an argument, but it is a contradiction. This is exactly what Harris aims at trying to do when he explains the concept of countering. Once again, this type of idea is always seen through out today’s press and media coverage. Through a specific article called “The Utah Mountain Man Scares Owners,” a writer took a different outlook on the story at hand. Instead of commenting about how this mysterious mountain man is breaking into log homes and rummaging for supplies, he takes the position of talking about how cool of a life this guy is living, and how we shouldn’t bother him and simply just be more careful with our homes. This new direction of writing is an example of countering. However, through countering, one loses the aspect of the original story. Instead of facts being thrown around, opinions now take their place and make the basis of the actual story. The idea of the story is lost, and a new one is born. But after all, isn’t that writing of today anyways?