Lethem Writing

The passage I chose is on page 219 when Lethem uses the example of The Velveteen Rabbit to demonstrate the perspective of second use in the eyes of the maker and the consumer. After a simple Google search, I was able to find a PDF of the short story. In the short story, the excerpt Lethem quotes is in the context of Rabbit questioning Skin Horse on what it means to be “Real,” or loved (the characters are stuffed animals or toys of some sort). Rabbit perceives being Real as being shabby, worn out, and a sort of magic, only happening to a select few toys. The toys that are Real end up being used and remembered for years, In sum, this short story uses this conversation to discuss the meaning of love. Lethem applies this central idea to plagiarism and the use of others’ works. When literary works, or other kinds of art, are used over and over again, society’s love for those works is strengthened. The way Lethem manipulates this passage is quite natural. Substituting the toys for literary works still keeps the central idea of the passage, and it expands its meaning to the new subject, literature.

From this analysis, I found that appropriation can be used to apply central ideas to new subjects in unpredictable ways. Toys and literature are very unrelated, but after applying the idea of love and appreciation to them, they become connected. In order to establish this connection, however, plagiarism is necessary. Making connections like this requires one to take from others’ works and manipulate the ideas to create something new and refreshing just as Lethem does.