The Joy and Enthusiasm of Reading- assertion journal

The Joy and Enthusiasm of Reading
Rick Moody

Rick Moody wrote an essay on thisibelieve.com about reading and his personal experiences with it. He describes how he learned to read and interpret the literal meaning of the text and story first, then moved on to decipher possible indirect, underlying meanings in the story. He was taught to believe that the reader was meant to draw their own conclusions from the pieces of literature.

I agree with this idea as a broad topic. It’s like the quote “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” It can also be applied to stories like Macbeth or the Gospels, which are meant to be applied to a variety of situations. However, some pieces are not as open to interpretation. Obviously, nonfiction can not be interpreted in the ways that fictional stories can be. Some stories, however, are specifically meant for a certain interpretation; other analyses don’t lend themselves toward the piece. Moody, I believe, recognizes that fact, though he does not focus on it. He mentions “Role of the Reader,” by Umberto Eco, which addresses how the reader completes the writing. Without the reader to interpret the piece, it is just empty words on a page, void of meaning. The reader is what gives the story or essay life, meaning, and substance.

I’ve experienced what Moody talks about in this piece, coming up with my own meanings for novels and short essays. These experiences happen mostly in the classroom. My English teachers have given me (along with my fellow students) the opportunity to figure out possible meanings for writings before informing me of the meanings they have figured out or those from the book. These experiences of self-learning followed by directed, explained education have helped me in my interpretation of primary documents, such as speeches and eloquent poems.

from: http://thisibelieve.org/essay/31/