Lessons from the Reader – (without reading it)
I absolutely love to read. In fact, as a child, I spent the majority of my summers alone in my room, comfortably nested with a book. Through books, I escaped the mundane haze of summer as I immersed myself in a completely different world. Yes, I was the nerdy kid preferring books over TV any day and everyday.
To me, the idea of not being able to read is unfathomable. Without reading, we lose understanding and insight. Our knowledge is limited, restricted, and blocked. We cannot interpret the world and truly comprehend the events surrounding us without reading. However, this summer consisted of task after task and now it’s the end of July. I had so many lofty plans of reading that have regrettably been further postponed. My schedule consumed so much of my time, I simply forgot about the hidden treasure I usually find through reading. Instead, I became the classic workaholic this summer, pausing little to eat and sleep. Somehow, I found the time to return home and take 2 hours to watch a movie with my family. Ironically, it was a movie that reminded me of the priceless gift of reading.
In the movie, The Reader, Hanna (Kate Winslet) is an illiterate SS guard who befriends a young Michael (a young Ralph Fiennes). From lacking the capability to read, Hanna represents how we as humans fail to grasp the inner meanings of our actions and fully comprehend their implications. Moreover, The Reader shows us how within our prideful narcissism, we are unable to read the true weight of the consequences of our actions and how they play out within others’ lives. For Hanna, the shame in admitting her ignorance causes her to be taken advantage of while others skip along without consequence.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to read The Reader by Bernhard Schlink this summer. However, after seeing the movie and learning about the characters and the role of literacy, I know this will be a crucial read. I only hope that I can remember to appreciate the lesson from The Reader and be literate within the scope of my own life.
