The Skeptical Attitude for Understanding

I think the readers tend to easily believe that statement of any literature works directly. In other words, they do not doubt the author's point of view, in spite of the fact that it is possible that the text has many other points of view. Although it is natural that people consider the interpretation from what is intended by the author, the way to read any text would take away the opportunity that the reader can obtain other information in same time. Therefore, I agree with Killingsworth in his article Appeal Through Tropes when he mentions about the skeptical attitude.

Killingworth says that "The skeptical attitude suggested in the practice of irony hints toward a critical method that goes back to Plato and that took on new force in the early modern treatment of wit and judgment. In the tradition of the English philosopher John Locke, wit involves the recognition of similarities, sometimes surprising similarities, judgment involves the recognition of difference. . . . We can expand this skeptical practice into a simple critical method for testing the robustness of tropes. Apply this general rule: If someone says that two things are similar to one another, try thinking of their difference. If someone says that two things are different, try thinking of them as similar" (p. 134). That is, when the reader uses this method to read any text, they might be able to obtain other interpretations of the text. For instance, when we read the novel Our Nig by Harriet E. Wilson, it seems to be clear that Frado's nature and character is totally different from Mrs.Bellmont's because the relationship is also really clear that Mrs. Bellmont rules everything. However, when the readers use the skeptical attitude, they would be able to see that Frado is in loneliness and a tragic state because of the discrimination and the prejudice. She is really afraid of being a minority in this story.

However, I think Mrs. Bellmont would be also afraid to be the minority. Of course, one of the reasons why she attacks Frado cruelly is based on the idea of discord. Furthermore, I believe that other reason is based on her human nature. Generally speaking, people are afraid of being minority in terms of the power of number. Then this information can be evidence of her fear that when the members of her family treat Frado kindly, she is angry and tries to make an ally of Mary in her side. Even though the relationship between both of them is really separate, I believe that their nature as human is similar.

I could only discover this idea after reading with a "skeptical attitude". Using the attitude would mean that the readers can see the works objectively.