Pattern Archaeology
#big-ideas note/develop🍃
René Girard had a take on discovering patterns in texts. Rather than imposing structures like his famous =="Triangle of Desire"== onto literature, he insisted these models were already present, waiting to be uncovered. For Girard, a critic's role wasn't to construct systems but to reveal them – like an archaeologist carefully brushing away sand to expose ancient artifacts. Even in what appears to be a chaotic mass of literature, he believed systematic thinking simply illuminates the hidden order that already exists within human civilization's creative output. It's not about invention, but revelation.