Growth through reading

This year I came to a new school, and met lots of new challenges, some that would prove to be difficult, and others that I overcame and learnt from. I started new subjects that I had never done before, whilst other subjects that were previously easy for me, became a whole new level of hard. My English teacher, in an attempt to improve our class as readers, and humans in general, challenged us to read three different books; a post 2000 book, a pre-1800s book, and a book written by a female, or person of colour.

I choose to read;

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

Life of Pi, by Yann Martel

and Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare

These three books had some interesting themes, which can still apply in the modern world, and are interesting to see through different lenses, a minority, a legend from a past time period, and a modern perspective. These themes have helped me grow, and apply critical thinking when viewing a situation, from the 3rd person, or even one that’s happening around me.

The first major theme I read is the theme of belonging. This was very common throughout The Hunger Games, and Romeo and Juliet. In The Hunger Games the districts are all split into their specialties, right up until district 13 (which no longer exists) and the rich elite, who live in the city center and host The Hunger Games once a year, where 24 competitors fight each other. The elite do this as entertainment, however once the book is read in detail and analyzed it can be speculated that they also do this to divide the districts, as each district wants their competitors to win. This divide stops the districts from rising up against the elite (another theme in Suzanne Collins work), and creating equality amongst the people.

This theme transitions perfectly onto Romeo and Juliet, a Shakespearean tragedy that ends in the death of lots of the characters. The audience is first introduced to the play with a violent scene with the Capulet family and the Montague families’ servants fighting amongst each other, and later escalates to some family members joining in. Shakespeare introduces this as a key theme to us, similar to how he introduces the theme of misplaced love in The Twelfth Night at the beginning with Orsino. The families continue to needlessly fight after many years of doing so despite not knowing why they are feuding. This is similar to humans in the real world, similar to how in The Hunger Games we are often forced into identity groups, and then quarrel with others for reasons we don’t know, except that they are different to us, and others will push for this because it benefits them.

I have also seen the importance of never giving up in Life of Pi, a story of Pi who travels the ocean stuck in a lifeboat with a tiger, and low food and water supplies. Using his intellect and wits Pi creates a second raft to float behind the main raft, where he can collect food and a line of water purifiers. He uses part of his good to train the tiger, and the rest to sustain himself, despite hope being seemingly lost he continued to struggle for months at sea. I, as a reader struggle to relate to his story in an overall sense, but if you take that main theme of continuing when hope seems lost, but when I can apply that to all the small things in life I can improve the quality of my work, and pull through with all my commitments.

I also struggled to believe that Life of Pi had anything that could possibly be real in it, however that was elaborated on later in the story, with Pi talking to journalist, and though they didn’t believe his story, it was the only account that is possible. Similar to Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye where he was going through a tough time, and went to one of his past teachers, a person he thought he could trust, however he was caressed, which only he and the perpetrator witnessed the event, something that no one else would likely believe happened. But he left the situation behind and escaped, and in the epilogue of the book, we see he has made his recovery, just a Pi pushed on and left his bad situation behind him not just what happened with his mentor, but his entire episode of (possible) mental health problems.

We as readers can learn from these two people, yes they may be fictional characters, but they both put bad things in the past. Although this isn’t always the best option sometimes it’s the only feasible option, and can help you have a better life, then if you continue to relive the horrors over and over again.

Later this year, when my parents ask me “what have you learnt at school this year?”

I’ll be able to tell them of ways that I’ve grown in the real world, through reading books that others may have passed on. I’ll be able to tell them to never give up, and warn them of the dangers that identity divisions pose, and that sometimes things are worth remembering, and are better left in the past.

Thanks for reading,

Jarrod Newell

Links for books mentioned

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