Whitney Swaim - Ong (Class Reading 1)

Ong discusses in Orality and Literacy how the term "oral literature" is losing power. However, he concedes that this self-contradictory term will likely never fade out completely. When I originally read the term "oral literature" before taking this class, I did not see anything unusual about it. It just seemed to mean that oral stories and traditions were written down. However, as time went on, I realized that there is much more to oral cultures that could never be recorded appropriately. Whether or not oral rituals/practices are recorded by video, audio, or writing, the full impact of these events could not be captured. To really grasp the power of oral traditions, one must actually be present. Primal rituals, story-telling, music, etc. involve use of sound that may only be understood by those who actually witness them. The sounds, in particular, involved with oral tradition are intended to be absorbed by someone who is face-to-face with the communicator.