Oral-Formulaic Theory: Annotated Bibliography

John R. Goody. The Domestication of the Savage Mind. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

A critique of the "pervasive dichotomy between primitive and advanced societies" (p. 146) supports a developmental view of human civilization and cognition, with orality and literacy as fundamental categories. Briefly reviews Parry's conception of the formula, noting the distinction between oral transmission and verbatim memorization. Feels that "writing is critical not simply because it preserves speech over time and space, but because it transforms speech, by abstracting its components, by assisting backward scanning, so that communication by eye creates a different cognitive potentiality for human beings than communication by word of mouth" (p. 128).
Area: CP