In my first blog post, I wrote about how as I biology student I learned that there is a right and a wrong way of interpreting something. I explained how even though in a research setting curiosity is encouraged, in terms of studying for test we must learn the way the professors teach the subject or it is wrong. I have usually been apprehensive when it comes to sharing my ideas in an English class because I am afraid of sharing an incorrect interpretation. However, I have learned throughout this class that books belong to their readers and that no two readers could possibly read the same book, because they are able to make their own personal connections to the text and are able to associate their own experiences with what they are reading. I have seen this while working in groups. Even though we all read the same passages, everyone has something different they can contribute. The ability for every reader to have a different experience reading the novel gives them a sense of ownership. To the reader, their own interpretation will likely be the one that it most important to them because it is the one they can relate to the most. I have learned that it is essential for students to have their own interpretations of the text. By bringing their own experiences, the reader is able to form a deeper connection with the book they are reading. As a person who likes to have a clear answer, it can sometimes make me feel overwhelmed with how many connections someone can make when reading a text. Initially coming into this class, I was unsure if I would be able to match the level of complexity of the interpretations of some of my peers. However by learning how to connect the works with outside sources that I found interesting, whether it be with other texts, in class, group work, different fields, or personal experiences, I was able to form a deeper connection with the texts.
I’ve learned that when reading, one should actively look up allusions that they do not understand. For me, this was a way of being able to be able to make initial connections. I first saw this in when writing about mesmerization in a group blog post. I found that by looking up mesmerization, I was able to better understand the connection Percival Everett was making when mentioning fesmerization in I am Not Sidney Poitier. He describes fesmerization as a way Not Sydney attempts to control his peers via mind control. Fesmerization and mesmerization work in the same way in that they are both used to influence their subjects and they are both unreliable. By discussing this analysis with the peers in my group, I was able to see that, although this is a fairly sound analysis, that by researching the allusion I was able to better understand this passage of text. By working like this in a group, it taught one way of connecting books to other subjects. This is similar to when I researched the significance of functions. I noticed that in Everett’s book of poem’s, re: f(gesture), the names of all of his poems were in a set of parentheses. Through my research of functions, I was able to how the parentheses around the titles would indicate that they are part of a set, meaning that they could put into the original function. This research is similar to what I learned when writing my blog posts about systems of measurement and social Darwinism. I also discussed the idea of connecting the importance of a name in the poem “Body” with the novel, with the same theme in I am Not Sidney Poitier. By comparing the two works to each other, it helped to reveal a possibility as to why Everett would name a character “Not Sidney.” By repeating the importance of a name in his poem, it shows how this idea is important to him, which could be why he included that theme in his book. I have learned that by looking up allusions I have not only been able to understand the texts more, but I also enjoyed them more too. The ideas for these posts were all ones that I thought of while discussing these works in a group setting. By listening to my peers and bouncing ideas off of each other, it gave me more confidence in my own ideas and gave me the encouragement I needed to write my own posts.
My favorite post I wrote this semester was “We Are God,” where I discussed Lonesome George, the last Pinta Island tortoise. With this post, I connected how humans are manipulating animal species and the environment similarly to how Dionysus is manipulating women in The Bacchae. For me, this connection was very useful because evolutionary biology and natural science is something that I am incredibly passionate about. It is one of my favorite areas of study, so by paralleling Dionysus’ manipulation to humans’ manipulation, I was able to visualize how he was able to do this in The Bacchae. I also really enjoyed this post because I was writing about a subject I am passionate about. I think that it’s important to try and actively connect the texts we read to subjects we care about. For me, I found that I when I connected the stories we read to a subject that I get excited about, I became more excited when thinking about the texts. I felt more enthusiastic when I talked about books like The Bacchae and I felt like I was more engaged in discussions when I paralleled the texts to something I loved. This was one of my last posts, and as I wrote it I felt accomplished because I was genuinely enjoying an assignment that I was originally apprehensive about starting.
I also found it helpful to connect the works to personal experiences. As I explained in my post, “My Head Hurts the Way it Hurts,” reading Everett’s poems “The Dura Mater” and “The Weight of the Encephalon,” reflected how I feel when I get migraines. Although most of the poems in “Body” are about sex, these poems described the feeling I get when I have headaches. These poems might not be particularly moving for most people, but I almost started crying as I read them for the first time because of how well they articulated my pain. I easily saw myself reflected in these poems while I was reading. When connecting the poems with these experiences in particular, I think I truly understand what was meant when I read, “books belong to their readers.” These poems probably were not supposed to be about chronic migraines, and someone that doesn’t get regularly get headaches would not read these poems this way. However, I saw the feeling I have when I get my migraines in these poems. They have become some of my favorite poems because as I read them, I was able to see my pain reflected in them. In my opinion, it’s very important to be able to read things that reflect how you feel. Before reading these poems, I hadn’t read something the properly articulated how I feel when I get headaches. Reading these poems helped to validate my experience when I have a migraine.
In my last post , I discussed a reflection of my time at Geneseo. I genuinely cannot believe that I only have one more semester left in my undergraduate career. For me, it was important to look back at the people and experiences that shaped my time at this school. I am a completely different person from my freshman year — I changed my major from physics to biology, I have the opportunity to sing in front of hundreds of people, and I have met friends who I now cannot imagine my life without. I think my growth as a reader in this class is similar to my arc as a student at Geneseo. I began this class scared of interpreting something wrong because I was afraid of being judged by my peers. Through group work, I was encouraged to share my ideas and listen to the ideas of others, allowing me to form deeper connections with the text. This taught me how to relate the texts to subjects that I am passionate about, helping to grow my appreciation and enthusiasm for the text. However, one of the most important things I have learned is that I feel the most connected to texts when I am able to make a personal connection. I have learned that by making meaningful connections with the things I read, I have been able to enjoy the texts more. Books belong to their readers, and by learning how to make connections with the text, readers can make the books theirs.