Blog #3: Plagiarism and Forgiveness aka Gladwell article

Gladwell's article was an interesting read. Surprise, surprise, not only did Bryony Lavery pull from Dorothy's work/life, she also copied things from Gladwell's article on Dorothy.

While reading the article I found myself annoyed at Lavery, I thought what she was obviously wrong. I felt the way that Gladwell did. How could she have cited others but not pay the same respect for Lewis and himself? As for her excuse? It seemed petty and it made her seem irresponsible/careless. However, as I neared the end of the article where Lavery paid Gladwell a visit, I realized that, "this woman's morality shouldn't be questioned."

So she WAS careless, but her reputation should not have been defamed. Lavery earned her Tony nomination and any high acclaim for "Frozen." I haven't seen it or anything, but from the article I get the impression that i was well written.

It must've been horrifying for Lewis to find out the way she did, especially since it seemed like it was "her life" on Broadway, but she overreacted. That woman was high on emotion and acted based on what she felt right after finding out. In my opinion, Lewis should have taken Lavery's offer for a talk-back. A lawyer and a lawsuit? So Soon? I think the situation could have been handled better instead of being blown out of proportion and into tabloid/media heaven.

Writers/Journalists must have had fun with that one. haha. Plagiarism is a great disrespect, a big fat no no. For some reason i think that writers take delight on praising great work, but are much more delighted at knocking other writers off their pedestals of praise after any accusation of plagiarism. It's like, "oh you definitely made us fools for believing you could have written anything that good!"

Anyhow...reading Lavery's side of the story helped me understand where she was coming from. She spoke of her experience with forgiveness for the surgeon that pretty much sent her mother to the grave. I now see that was her true inspiration and that Lewis's life and Partington's ordeal[woman whose sister was murdered] were just things that helped her EXPRESS what she felt about forgiveness.

Now that's what I call originality. It was hard defining originalityat first, but after reading Chapter 2 of My Word, I think I have a good idea of it now. Originality is really just taking a piece of yourself/personality and combining it with your influences to create something new.

"The product of this imprinting of the author;s personality on the common stock of the world was a work of original authorship." (Blum, p. 34) And as the interviewee Callista said in Blum's book, "you have to be unique in something you say--atleast the way you tie everyone else's stuff together." (p. 54)

Did Gladwell's article blow anyone's mind? If you guys didn't catch it...

"Frozen was an attempt to understand the nature of forgiveness,"Lavery told Gladwell. Ironically, Frozen forced Lavery to trade places, instead of the granter of forgiveness;she was the one who had to ask for forgiveness from Gladwell and Lewis!

Has anyone ever heard of that saying that forgiveness is not really for the person who has done wrong, but it's for the person giving it? It's not to forget, but it's to allow oneself to move on.

Lavery's take on it was damn good! "Cause if you don't forgive, it's as if you're "frozen" in time, you're still hung up about something that's already been done....and the only way to become "unfrozen" is to let go.

As for Gladwell? He forgave her at the end.