FrivYeti
FrivYeti t1_iw00z5c wrote
Reply to comment by Fictitious1267 in Can one be objective while reading problematic classics? by [deleted]
Problematic doesn't mean that a thing needs revision; it just means that it needs contextualization or critique. You can enjoy a thing and still understand that it's an imperfect gem.
In terms of reading classics, it's up to the individual reader. It's valuable to know what the writer intended, and how their biases or upbringing may have affected them, and it's fine if someone isn't in a space to do that.
(For what it's worth, I think Mary's racism in Secret Garden is not meant to reflect well on her - it's there to highlight her bad attitude and arrogance before she learns to be better.)
FrivYeti t1_iw03knq wrote
Reply to comment by Fictitious1267 in Can one be objective while reading problematic classics? by [deleted]
No, solution in a literary context is... context. Applying context to a problematic work is the solution.
Solution and revision aren't synonymous in any context. I think this is a you thing.