Palmer Trinity School

"Believe me, Frankenstein: I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity; but am I not alone, miserably alone? You, my creator, abhor me; what hope can I gather from your fellow creatures, who owe me nothing? They spurn and hate me… Shall I not then hate them who abhor me?" (Chapter 10) How lucid and passionate are the words of Mary Shelley penned in 1818. And yet how true, how moving those words remain even today. T H E V A L U E O F L I T E R A T U R E Given what we can learn from literature and the insights of authors, we need to read, to recognize the opportunity to learn, to understand, or to be entertained. The simple action of sitting down to read has untold benefits for us not often valued in our world. Finding time to be still and creating a place where we will not be disturbed fosters a sense of recreation (think vacation). Reading stimulates the mind and the imagination, offers insights into concerns, transports us to other places where we can perceive truth and deal with the complexities of life in a creative fashion. Reading propels us out of our limited world into other times and places. The great value of literature allows us to comprehend experiences from different perspectives, learning, not from information, but from experience and participation. "Literature teaches us how to live," says Anzer Ahmed. This means we can see the world as others do, learn from their experiences, and even understand ourselves a little better. Unfortunately, the value of literature and reading has been undermined on a variety of levels. What we call literature is too often seen as enshrining the values of the establishment. I would argue that critical reading and thinking about literature allows us to question what we read. Any reading is good reading. Find a novel, story, poem, or play that sounds interesting and take the time to surround yourself with calm and quiet, and then immerse yourself in a learning experience that will open the world to you in ways you would never imagine. Along with the challenge of being online and being largely passive in daily life, individuals have lost a competitive edge. We judge ourselves too harshly believing that it is pointless to try anything because we will not be perfect. By not being actively involved in life or dealing with others in the flesh and the present, we become fearful. Uncertainty and fear stunt growth and learning. Nothing is as fearsome as something we do not know or have not tried. Fear uncontrolled will paralyze and destroy. Literary critic and professor, Harold Bloom, has described reading as "the most healing of pleasures." I cannot but agree with him when he continues to state that "We read for varied reasons, most of them familiar … that we need to know ourselves better; that we require knowledge, not just of self and others, but of the way things are." The beauty of life and the excitement of living is that it requires courage. It means being unafraid of what others might think or say. Hesitation or drawing back from life leaves us empty and unfulfilled. Consider the short poem by Guillaume Apollinaire: R E C O M M E N D E D R E A D S : "'HOPE' IS THE THING WITH FE ATHE RS" BY E MILY DICKINSON "THE PE ACE OF WILD THINGS" BY WE NDE LL BE RRY "LINES COMPOSE D A FE W MILES ABOVE TINTE RN ABBE Y" BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH "THE ROAD NOT TAKE N" BY ROBE RT FROST "THE E DGE" BY GUILL AUME APOLLINAIRE 33

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