What is a confession? To me, a confession is like spilling a secret, or revealing the unknown. A confession is usually made to a close friend, family member, or a member of the church such as a pastor.
So is confession and an apology the same thing? Both an apology and a confession have one thing similar: they both address an action from the past. An apology, to me, is a statement to make up for a previous and hurtful action/statement. A confession usually states an action that happened (unknowingly from the public) in the past.
However, they are still not similar. a confession usually acknowledges the fact that a person has committed a negative action, but it doesn't mean that they will repent or feel sorry for their action. For example, a husband may confess to cheating on his wife but he may not feel guilty of doing it in the first place. An apology shows regret to another person; this statement shows warmth and love to another. For example, my friend may apologize for saying a nasty comment to me accidentally.
In any type of writing, when the author confesses to readers it shows vulnerability and honesty. Most readers like honesty; they do not want to read meaningless ideas from the author. When the author breaks down, it shows that they are not perfect. In a way, I feel that I can relate to them.
Also, when the author becomes honest, it makes me interested in the reading; I begin to trust the author's statements and ideas. It also puts a personal effect into the article, rather than a monotonic effect.
True, vulnerability allows us to feel the speaker is/could be a real person (in a fictional novel) and makes the story more believable and interesting.
ReplyDeleteYou and Matt are right. I feel a personal connection with the author when he or she uses personal experiences in his or her work. I think it brings the reader to a new understanding of the author's message.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you addressed the vulnerability, because you're right. Perfection does not exist, and we would much rather read about someone trying and failing then constantly succeeding. Also, the "past action" was something I never really thought of, but again, spot on.
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