Spectator Role and the Beginnings of Writing

This was a very interesting article. I previewed the article before I read it and thought that I might not enjoy a discussion about literary and nonliterary discourses. However, upon completion I felt very enlightened and armed with new knowledge about the composition theories presented in Britton's article.
I really enjoyed James Britton's commentary on Harding's discussion about the way students "do" literature when they participate in it during the day. Later they become spectators when they recount the gossip (156). How fascinating! I've never really thought about gossip on such an intellectual level since I read a book called 'Main Street' by Sinclair Lewis. I read this book quite some time ago, and subsequently wrote a critical analysis about the institution of gossip among the middle class. "Main Street" was published just prior to Harding's book covering the same topic. We can make connections between fiction (literary) and gossip (nonliterary) through a consideration of readings from the past!