How Distant is ‘Distant Reading’? A Paradigm Shift in Pedagogy

Abstract

Life’s brevity contrasts with the enduring nature of art, and the specter of mortality perennially shadows humanity. In the contemporary landscape, millions of English-language literary works emerge annually, rendering exhaustive in-depth reading an unattainable feat for readers engaged in literary studies. The once-relied-upon method of close reading proves inadequate in addressing the expansive breadth of literary output. The imperative to incorporate computational approaches in the study of literary texts becomes evident. As we stand at the crossroads of tradition and technology, it is incumbent upon literary studies to embrace the symbiosis with computers, commonly recognized as digital humanities. This ethnoautobiographical article seeks to navigate the practical dimensions of distant reading within the realm of digital humanities. Its central thesis posits that contemporary literary academia must integrate distant reading alongside traditional close reading methodologies to comprehensively engage with the vast and diverse literary landscape.