Readings Response -- Bazerman and Campbell

     Bazerman's discussion of intertextuality seemed somewhat elementary to me; it is hardly a new discovery to make note of the fact that most human communication relies heavily on the standards, precedents, and idiosyncrasies of prior communications.  The primary thing to take from the reading seemed to be the admonition to analyze such connections so as to gain a better critical understanding of the meaning of the passage.  Even then, we are simply making ourselves aware of a phenomenon that we already subconsciously understand and tap into.  Perhaps Bazerman's purpose was simply to raise awareness rather than present a new way of looking at texts, or maybe it was an attempt to provide a common set of terms to use in discussing intertextual relation; in either case the article was somewhat lackluster as a revelation of any new information.
     Campbell's article, on the other hand, was quite interesting.  It is intriguing to note the comparative structures of hero stories and their disconnect with the despair and hopelessness that Campbell ascribes to everyday life.  I have often thought that following a pattern similar to these classical hero narratives is one of the surest ways to gain readership as a writer.  People seem to automatically connect with the formula Campbell describes, simply because it is drilled into our minds from an early age in religious stories, fairy tales, and adventure entertainment.  It also connects with us in a deeper way as well; there seems to some drive or desire towards  the ideals contained within the hero tradition, something we want, and, I think, something we need.