Questioning Imaginative Resistance and Resistant Reading

It is widely accepted that readers will resist imagining a character in story did something morally wrong, even if the endorses this judgement. This paper argues, first, not question of whether act was wrong salient as they read; and, second, asking certain can be part correctly appreciating story—even foreground story, and itself discourages from it, common some forms ‘hermeneutics suspicion’. In Jean Craighead George’s (1959) novel My Side Mountain, fourteen-year-old Sam Gribley runs away his home New York City to live alone Catskill Mountains, where he forages, traps game, converts hollowed-out tree into tiny house. Seven months pass before father comes looking for him. His is, mainly, impressed with life has built. He expresses no anger at leaving or sadness been gone, returns next day. does see family again another six months.