Greater Understanding

In my Literacy Narrative so many weeks ago, I discussed all the stamps I had accumulated on my "literacy passport." Today, I hold this passport in my hands and am challenged to consider what stamps will grace this passport in the future and, furthermore, what my passport will enable me to do in the future.

A great man once sang, "Take a look; it's in a book." I have spent much of my life devouring many words and consuming many books. I have come across many truths that I feel I would never have encountered without the power of the written word. However, there is always the nagging feeling that I am missing something - that there is a book out there that is calling out to me in vain.

My experiences this semester have shown me that even those books I would not have picked up on my own hold great value. I find that, by stepping outside of my comfort zone and opening a book of poetry or an existentialist novel, I can widen my horizons and make myself receptive to truths I would not otherwise have accepted.

When I first entered this class, I had a strong desire to follow my passion for literature to a publishing house. While I still feel that publishing will be in my future, I am not confident that a publishing house will be my ultimate destination. I seem to be developing a case of uncertainty much like Binx Bolling. (Though it could be this head cold.) I feel like I need to slow down and analyze the world around me and inside of me before I can truly know where literature will lead me. And I feel that literature can give me the tools to analyze these distinct worlds.

Over the course of this semester, I have found myself making constant comparisons to my classmates. I find myself very rusty when it comes to analyzing literature, and I will admit that I often envy the skills and experiences of my classmates. I lack the perspective that gender studies offers. My comprehension of poetry is severely lacking. I am ignorant of many cultural and racial contexts that many of my peers know backwards and forwards.

If nothing else, this class has shown me my deficiencies and given me the inspiration to improve myself. But it has also shown me that I have an eye and ear for poetic constructions - I feed on metaphors and similes and cannot get enough of rhyme and meter. I get a special thrill when I happen upon a sly joke or allegory, and I live for the days when I will understand an allusion to an older literary work that others might not.

I must say that I enjoyed the opportunity to apply traditional literary analysis to non-traditional formats like graphic novel and film. These artistic forms are prevalent in today's world and I anxiously await using the tools from this class to dissect comic books I read outside of the school walls and even the summer movies. My interests outside of school no longer have to be kept separate - I have found that, in joining the two, I gain a greater understanding of every artistic input and reap a greater understanding of each.