I’ve made my claim, watch as I construct and support my argument. Then, decide for yourself with your own verdict, and with your own ruling.
If you’ve read any of the posts from the imprint blog or my personal blog, you might’ve noticed something. Nothing from the series has been published, and there isn’t anything remotely close to “critical acclaim” for my work, yet here I am talking on and on about The Great American Novel. It’s almost like I’m talking out of my ass right?
But still, all this is intentional. I expect you to retain a sense of disbelief towards the statement. But it is necessary for me to invoke the idea of The Great American Novel, because it grants me a unique opportunity. I aim to actively work backwards from the preconceived notion of the GAN. I’m somewhat working from your own preconceived perspective towards the idea, whether or not you understand what the GAN is.
Essentially, as a storyteller I’m assuming that with my claim and attempt for The Great American Novel made obvious, it won’t simply be The Dream Series in completion that will hopefully result in canonization. Your perspective as a reader will be another reason the dream will be actualized. You may not understand me now but, that’s what I mean by saying I plan to subvert and surpass your expectations.
We’ll discuss the minutiae of metaphysical components later, but from my perspective there is a paradox whenever I consider the notion of the GAN. That’s why a facet of my story requires a reflection of that paradox. Here’s a bit of what I mean:
I believe I will achieve The Great American Novel before any of my work is published or even read by a reasonably sized audience. I can’t know for sure until the very last page of The Dream Series is written and published. (Even then, I’m still unsure. I don’t think I’ll ever know in absolute certainty, but that’s not the main concern.) What if it’s not only the stories of my series that will contend for the GAN, but my consistent belief that becomes another layer for you, the reader to understand. What if my conveyed faith and subsequent action over time will be another significant element to the story, maybe it even becomes the very reason my story does contend for The Great American Novel? Doesn’t that mean to effectively achieve the vision of my story, I’m required to consistently communicate what it will be in the end? Am I still illogical then?
I may not be a logician, but I think I have a general understanding of arguments and their formation, rhetoric, and the importance of logical reasoning in shaping and supporting arguments. So, before I explain my larger vision in the next blogpost, I want to break it down simply and explicitly.
My main claim or argument, is that The Great American Novel is possible, and my story will contend for the title.
My evidence will be The Dream Series in its entirety, and in summation.
Everything I write whether it’s in the novels or these blog posts will be used to support my claim. Even my claim itself is meant to be a canonical buttress for my argument. I believe it will be another aspect that will provide nuance and dimension to The Dream Series.
There’s another reason why I want you to know my ambition for the idea. Your perspective, especially after The Dream Series is what I’m most curious to know. Was I able to do it? Was I justified in claiming The Dream Series as a possible contender for The Great American Novel? Was I warranted in claiming the series as a whole constituted as a contender prior to its completed publication? Or, were my claims completely unfounded? Am I, or have I been talking out of my ass?
I accept that in case the burden of proof falls on me, and I always will accept that responsibility. But with the same logic applied, the contingency of my argument should not be considered on the basis of proving myself to be right, or you the audience wrong. The contingency of my argument is only tied to the evidence of my claim and whether or not I’ve proven that claim beyond a reasonable doubt.
When I say that I challenge you for The Great American Novel, I really mean that I challenge every individual who reads my story for it. I don’t think it’d be fair to simply write a story and call it that, in hopes of people agreeing with me. I don’t just want simply to challenge you as a reader, for the title itself, I want to challenge your perception of the idea, what makes a GAN, and how it can be achieved. I aim to challenge your very understanding of it.