Dear Students,
This quarter my goal was to read a few books that I would have
previously considered too heavy or too time consuming to read otherwise.
I had always wanted to read David Foster Wallace’s 1200-page novel Infinite Jest,
but unfortunately I made it a third of the way through before
abandoning it for now. This quarter I did succeed in finishing David
Shields’ memoir on reading and thinking, How Literature Saved My Life; Muriel Spark’s classic novella about a radical Scottish school teacher, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie; and David Mitchell’s coming of age novel about a teenage boy in contemporary England, Black Swan Green.
Additionally, I reread the novels we’ve been discussing in class, and I
realized I want to reread more of favorite books. While I did expand my
horizons by reading different genres, I did not complete all of the
books I started. Reading time is precious, and I think it is important
for readers to know when to abandon a book that is becoming tedious and
not enjoyable; however, sometimes we don’t know what a book will mean to
unless we persevere!
I strongly believe that reading outside of my comfort zone is what
makes me a better reader. By now I know what my favorite authors and
genres are, but if I never force myself to explore, I will keep reading
the same stuff without any new challenges. I picked to read Infinite Jest
because it’s known as one of the longest, most detailed and
experimental novels of our time. Going in I knew that I might end up
frustrated, so I planned some strategies for reading before I began: I
made sure I had friends who were familiar with the book that I could
discuss with. I read a couple of blogs about people reading the book. I
used my Kindle and a hard copy of the book so I wouldn’t have to flip
back and forth between the story and the footnotes. The non-traditional
structure of the book isn’t why I stopped reading. I had to abandon the
book because I was annoyed with the characters! The book is basically
about addiction in all forms, and I didn’t see an end in sight, which in
retrospect might have been the author’s message: sometimes there’s no
end to the addictions that ensnare us.
I believe that deepening our awareness of author’s choices and
techniques can also make us better readers. As we discuss dramatic irony
in class, I begin to see it more in everything I read. For example, as
I read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
I noticed all the ways the main character, the teacher Miss Brodie,
contradicted herself. Miss Brodie tried to teach her students that
nothing is more important than self-expression and individualism;
however, by the end of the book we learn that Miss Brodie was secretly a
supporter of fascism and even Hitler. Thus, she also held strong
beliefs in teamwork and nationalism. At the beginning of the novella
Miss Brodie’s students in Scotland are in 6th grade, so they don’t
understand a whole lot about fascism yet; they trust Miss Brodie. But by
the end of the book and as the students grow older, a few start to
become aware of Miss Brodie’s contradictions. I don’t think I would have
appreciated this book as well without noticing the ironies of Miss
Brodie’s values and actions, between which there is a huge gap! This
led me to understand a possible theme of the book: Teachers can pass
along their biases and opinions, just like anyone else, so it’s
important to always keep your own critical thinking cap on.
Overall,
to me an ideal reader should be comfortable admitting their confusion.
I wasted a lot of time as a student not asking questions. I almost wish
I could go back to all the times I was afraid to speak up and ask some
good questions. I think part of being able to admit one’s confusion is
knowing how to ask good questions. Sometimes just taking a step back
and asking, “What is the author’s purpose” or “What changed my
thinking?” can lead to whole new areas of thinking and discussion. If I
could give you one piece of advice, I would say that you must find
strategies for comfortably admitting your confusion, or else you will
risk settling in your thinking. Lastly, 4th quarter I hope to read more
poetry with students. I think people are often intimidated by poetry
because of its mystery and subtext. If we can admit our confusion
comfortably, accessing poetry should not intimidate us!
I look forward to talking about books with you!
Ms. Utphall
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