Summary of "value/evaluation" by Barbara Hernstein Smith

Summary of “Value/Evaluation”

In her essay “Value/Evaluation,” Barbara Herrnstein Smith reflects upon the shifting nature of the evaluation process, and what exactly the meaning of “value” is. She begins by pointing out that the dispute on the value of something occurs whenever any social activity becomes the focal point of a discussion. However, Smith points out, the perspective on value and evaluation has changed dramatically, and is still a topic of debate. These new perspectives indicate that value judgments are made by entire societies, not necessarily individuals; they also give rise to skepticism and question traditional ideas about how evaluations are made.

Pointing out the importance of attempting to define a term before truly being able to discuss it, Smith identifies “value” as two separate but related meanings. The first and most obvious relates to the worth of an object, or “the material… equivalence-in-exchange of something” (178). The other, more intangible definition refers to a multitude of attributes: its practicality, its ability to expand upon some function, how gratifying it is to its owner, and its class in some sense. The related concept here, Smith stresses, is that “both senses of the term involve two key ideas, namely comparison and amount” (179). It is no wonder, then, Smith says, that the term “value” refers to something so elementary to our nature. There is, however, an even more complex and intangible aspect to the etymology of “value”. In its historical sense, there has been a sense of the object itself having an inherent value of its own, above and beyond and monetary or cultural value. Therefore, while everything would then have some value of its own, Smith argues that it is also exactly what makes it distinct and incomparable, apart from any outside force.

This concept of inherent value is further complicated, Smith asserts, when applied to literature. This elusive idea of there being something else once any practical or personal value is eliminated is what would presumably distinguish a great work of literature from some other, sub-literature category. This great work would “produce some purely sensory/perceptual…or some purely passive and intellectual gratification, independent of any practical, active, or material response to the text” (179). Smith then regresses to her previous point that this idea of “value” is being consistently questioned and re-defined by calling attention to the critique of this specific sense of “value”. This skepticism questions how possible this definition really is: whether or not there is something there once everything material and relevant has been subtracted, if it is possible to really pinpoint this indescribable characteristic as is necessary, and whether it really is even possible to have such an absolute reaction to a text. It is for this reason, Smith states, that it is impossible “to reduce the value of anything… to a single, simple property or possession” (180). Smith first alludes to her ongoing model here, when she refers to the complexity of Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre and the many combining forces defining the value of the text, including, but not exclusive to, its sales, its use within cultures and communities, and the revelations and memories within the text.

It is only after defining “value” that Smith moves on to describe the more complex idea of “evaluation.” She begins by questioning the traditional idea that evaluations are made by people with some sort of qualification to be critiquing some form of art or literature; it is a seemingly individualistic task. However, Smith says, evaluation is no longer seen as something done by someone seen officially as a “critic”, but an ever-changing process indicated by several different attributes in a literary sense. These include: the ever-present relationship, not opposition, between the criticism of a text and its creation; a personal comparison between this text and any others, and a consideration of how others are likely to enjoy it; the resulting effects furthering its value within a society; the sustaining force of informal evaluations among equals; and finally, the evaluation performed within an institution, such as a school or newspaper (182). Smith refers here to the composition of the text by Charlotte Bronte, as well as its being made into a film, reflecting the multifaceted nature of the value of a specific text.

Smith states here that, while evaluation does not depend solely upon the opinion of society, it is colored by cultural norms. Classification, Smith says, is its own form of evaluation; it is the first step in influencing our evaluations of art and