What Does It Mean To Make The Familiar Strange

What Does it Mean to Make the Familiar Strange? A Deep Dive into Defamiliarization

Making the familiar strange, or defamiliarization, is a powerful literary and artistic technique that forces us to see the ordinary with new eyes. It's about disrupting our automatic perceptions and ingrained habits of seeing, allowing us to appreciate the world with a fresh, often unsettling perspective. This essay will explore the meaning and significance of defamiliarization, examining its roots in literary theory, its applications across various art forms, and its broader implications for understanding our relationship with the world around us.

The Roots of Defamiliarization: Viktor Shklovsky and the Formalists

The concept of defamiliarization is most closely associated with the Russian Formalists, a group of literary critics active in the early 20th century. Viktor Shklovsky, a prominent figure in this movement, coined the term "ostranenie," often translated as "making strange" or "defamiliarization," in his influential essay "Art as Device" (1917). Shklovsky argued that the purpose of art is to overcome the "automatization" of perception – the tendency to passively absorb the world without truly seeing it.

Overcoming Automatization:

According to Shklovsky, our everyday experiences become so routine that we cease to actively perceive them. We move through the world on autopilot, failing to appreciate the unique qualities of things and events. Defamiliarization, therefore, acts as a countermeasure. By disrupting this automatic perception, art forces us to slow down, to pay attention to details we normally overlook, and to actively engage with the world in a more conscious way.

Example: Imagine the act of eating an apple. Most of us perform this action without much thought. However, through defamiliarization, a writer might describe the apple's texture, its scent, the way the juice runs down our chin, the specific crunch of the bite – all details we usually ignore. This detailed sensory description jolts us out of our routine perception and makes us experience the simple act of eating an apple anew.

Defamiliarization in Literature: Techniques and Examples

Defamiliarization manifests in literature through a variety of techniques. These include:

Unusual Word Choice and Syntax:

Employing unexpected vocabulary or disrupting typical sentence structures can immediately estrange the reader. This forces a slower, more deliberate reading experience, preventing automatic comprehension.

Example: Instead of writing "The sun rose in the east," a writer might use a more unusual phrasing like "The dawn, a fiery eye, unfurled above the horizon." This unexpected language breaks the reader's expectations, making the familiar image of sunrise seem fresh and exciting.

Detailed Sensory Descriptions:

As mentioned earlier, meticulously detailing sensory experiences – sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures – can make the mundane seem extraordinary. This forces the reader to engage with the world described on a deeper, more visceral level.

Example: Instead of simply saying "The room was messy," a writer might describe the scattered clothes, the overflowing ashtrays, the smell of stale coffee and dust, and the overall feeling of chaotic disorder. This heightened sensory detail makes the reader feel as if they are physically present in the described space, experiencing its messiness firsthand.

Unusual Perspectives and Narration:

Shifting the narrative viewpoint or employing an unconventional narrative structure can also create a sense of defamiliarization. By disrupting the reader's expectations about how a story should unfold, the writer challenges their assumptions and prompts a more thoughtful engagement with the narrative.

Example: Using a first-person narrator with unreliable memories or employing a fragmented, non-linear narrative can create distance and ambiguity, prompting the reader to question the narrative's surface and delve deeper into its meaning.

Metaphor and Simile:

Comparing seemingly disparate things through unexpected metaphors and similes can generate a sense of estrangement. This forces the reader to reconcile contrasting images, thereby generating new insights and meanings.

Example: Instead of simply describing a character as sad, a writer might compare their emotions to "a wilting flower in a forgotten garden." This comparison creates a vivid image that goes beyond a simple emotional label.

Defamiliarization Beyond Literature: Applications in Other Art Forms

Defamiliarization is not limited to literature. It's a fundamental principle of creative expression across various art forms, including:

Visual Arts:

Cubism, Surrealism, and other artistic movements actively employed defamiliarization to challenge conventional perspectives on reality. By fragmenting images, distorting shapes, and juxtaposing unexpected elements, these artists forced viewers to reconsider their ingrained assumptions about representation and perception.

Film and Theatre:

Filmmakers and theatre directors use techniques such as unconventional camera angles, jarring edits, non-linear storytelling, and unconventional set designs to disrupt expectations and achieve a defamiliarizing effect. This can enhance the emotional impact of a scene or create a sense of unease and disorientation that engages the audience on a deeper level.

Music:

In music, defamiliarization might involve the use of unexpected harmonies, dissonances, atonality, or unconventional rhythmic structures. By breaking established musical conventions, composers can create a sense of surprise and intrigue, forcing listeners to actively engage with the musical experience.

The Psychological Impact of Defamiliarization

Defamiliarization doesn't merely offer aesthetic pleasure; it also has a profound psychological impact. By challenging our automatic perceptions, it can:

• Enhance creativity and problem-solving: By forcing us to see things differently, defamiliarization can unlock new ways of thinking and problem-solving. It can help us break free from ingrained patterns and discover fresh perspectives.

• Increase empathy and understanding: By experiencing the world from a different angle, defamiliarization can foster greater empathy and understanding of others. It can challenge our biases and preconceptions, making us more receptive to diverse perspectives.

• Promote self-reflection: The process of defamiliarization can also lead to greater self-awareness. By challenging our assumptions and ingrained habits of thinking, it can foster introspection and personal growth.

Defamiliarization in Everyday Life

The principles of defamiliarization are not confined to artistic endeavors. We can apply them to our everyday lives to enhance our experiences and foster a deeper understanding of the world around us:

• Mindful observation: By consciously paying attention to the details of our everyday surroundings, we can cultivate a more appreciative and observant attitude. This involves noticing things we typically overlook, engaging our senses more fully, and actively seeking out new perspectives.

• Questioning assumptions: Actively challenging our ingrained beliefs and assumptions is crucial for fostering critical thinking and personal growth. By questioning our biases and preconceptions, we can develop a more nuanced understanding of the world.

• Seeking out diverse perspectives: Engaging with different cultures, perspectives, and viewpoints can broaden our understanding and challenge our assumptions about the world. This can foster greater empathy and appreciation for human diversity.

Conclusion: The Enduring Power of Making the Familiar Strange

Making the familiar strange is not merely a literary technique; it's a fundamental mode of creative expression that transcends artistic boundaries. By disrupting our automatic perceptions and forcing us to see the world anew, defamiliarization empowers us to appreciate the beauty and complexity of our surroundings, fosters critical thinking and self-reflection, and ultimately enhances our understanding of ourselves and the world we inhabit. Its enduring power lies in its ability to remind us that even the most mundane aspects of life can hold extraordinary potential for wonder and discovery, provided we are willing to look at them with fresh, unjaded eyes. The act of defamiliarization is a constant invitation to rediscover the world, one strange, beautiful detail at a time.