The video by John Green is an interesting short description of the reason why people read and write literature. It is a short scene of events that would take someone like a teacher long to explain. It is so apparent that Green understands the origin and history of literature. The video shows some early excerpts of writing back in time. For example, we see the ancient wall writings in the ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, which enjoy a full history of civilization. Also, there is a picture of the Renaissance Period, where the writings and paintings found their way into publications. In a nutshell, the literature shows the history of human civilization.
The biggest question, however, lies in the reason behind reading and writing. Why do we read? Why do we write? According to the presenter, the bottom line of the whole issue is communication. Let us take it back in time. The ancient people wrote on the walls as signs to be read by everybody in the community who understands it. Hence, it was to communicate something to the masses who see them. Despite being written in symbols and signs, they were understandable. Green further suggests that as someone writes, they communicate their experiences to the masses through complex symbols, which in this case are words. As the readers glance on the complex symbols, they decode the meaning and the feeling behind the phrase.
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The ideas that the writer had thus passed from one person to another as more people get access to the writings. I concur with the fact that the words carry meaning, based on the combination within a sentence and the way they are accompanied with other symbols to make language and produce a sense. Through the words, the reader can feel what the author looks like and feels. Reading gives the audience the chance to experience what it feels like to be the author through imagination. Hence, the reader can feel empathy for the situation the writer finds. Green goes ahead to give the results of reading a literary piece. First, it opens one to the life other than oneself. It gives someone the experience of another form of life. It is a great work through Green that one comes to understand that reading literature is a valuable tool in reliving what the author intended to pass on even centuries to come. However, usage of complex symbolism creates a varied interpretation of the works to even show the feeling that the author never intended to convey.
According to me, I read for various reasons. First and foremost, the school makes me read more. Given that most of the time I spend in school, coursework constitutes most of the reading I do. This includes the assignments and homework provided by the tutors. It is much work that has an impact on the mind. It makes me develop perfect communication skills. The class reading is meant to develop our mindset and equip us with the right tools of communication. It is the basis of reading and writing. It helps us know how to pronounce and articulate words in the correct ways. It also helps us critically analyze the standpoints the author tried to take using the complex symbolisms and other literary styles. The other bit is reading for pleasure. This is just the reading that I do when not in school. It includes reading novels and other literary works like poems. The fun bit of reading is helpful in the perception of the fantasy world. It opens up the mind to what Green calls “imagining what it feels to be someone else.”
In conclusion, John Green has done a commendable job in ensuring we understand the meaning of reading and why it is important. And the bottom line is that it is essential for communicating with individuals whom we don’t know or even who do not live in the same century as we.
