Angulo 1 Hector Angulo English 101 / Section 104 Sunday, May 1, 2022 Refection Essay The great F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong” (Fitzgerald, 2022). I believe that this quote is very significant when considering the benefits of reading, interpreting, and discussing literature. People often feel alone or isolated from others in society because they feel like they cannot relate to others, or that others cannot relate to them. This is because people tend to believe that thoughts and emotions that they have, and the experiences that they face are their own, and that others would not be able to relate to them. Reading literature helps people realize that others experience an internal dialog that is very similar to that of their own. When people read literature and realize this, they are no longer lonely, because they realize that they, in fact, are not alone: the thoughts that they have, the emotions that they feel, the challenges that they face are also the thoughts, emotions, and challenges of everyone else in society. When people interpret literary works and discuss their interpretations with others they develop a better sense of self and a better understanding of others. This is because the way in which a person understands and interprets a work of literature is related to his or her own self-understanding. When people discuss their own interpretation of a literary work with that of others, people are able to gain insight on how others perceive, interpret, and relate to that very same literary work. This allows people to feel more connected to society because they are able to relate with others whom have a similar understanding of the work, and they are able to develop a better understanding of those whom have interpretations Angulo 2 that are different from their own. Through reading interpreting, and discussing literature, people, including myself, feel less alone, and feel more connected to society as a whole. The literature studied in this class offered insight to the emotions and thoughts of many different types of people, or characters, and the challenges that they face. By reading and interpreting these works, and developing a connection to the characters that are presented in these works, I feel that I am better able to relate to others, which makes me feel less alone, and more connected to society as a whole. The class discussions regarding each student’s own understanding and interpretation of the literature studied, afforded each student, myself included, the opportunity to improve his or her sense of self. This also afforded each student, myself included, the opportunity to better understand his or her classmates. By participating in these discussions, I also feel less alone and being better connected to society as a whole. For example, in the poem Some Keep the Sabbath by Emily Dickenson, Dickenson challenges the man-made rule that going to church is the only way to practice religion and maintain a connection with God. In contrary to this widely accepted norm, she believes that since God is omnipresent, she can maintain a connection with God by enjoying a leisurely day in her garden. Although her way of practicing her religion and connecting with God is different from most, that does not make it wrong, nor does it make her any less spiritual. When reading and interpreting this work, I immediately felt a connection to the main character in this poem. I too do not practice my religion by going to church nor openly praying. I maintain my connection with God in my own ways, such as enjoying my family, taking walks and appreciating nature, and via personal private prayer. I too, like the character, have faced judgments for not following the man-made rules regarding how to practicing religion. This has lead me to feel more Angulo 3 connected to others in society because this poem was written decades ago, and even then, there were others that shared my emotions, thoughts, feelings and challenges. The class discussion, which initially involved deciphering the meaning of this poem, lead to an even broader discussion involving insights to the emotions, thoughts, and perspectives that others have in regards to religion, religious practice, church, and spirituality. What I found extremely interesting was that I was not the only person that shared Dickenson’s belief, nor was I the only person to believe that the imposed man-made rules of religion actually deter people from attending church or discussing their religious practices out of fear of being judged. This lead to a better understanding of myself: I too avoid discussing my religion because I have experienced the judgments of others and told that I am not a devout Catholic, as I do not attend church or pray openly. This also led me to feel more connected to others and society: as the discussion demonstrated I am not alone, and that many others have the same thoughts and feelings, and have faced the same challenges in regards to religion. Overall, there are many benefits to reading, interpreting, and discussing literature. I believe that through reading and interpreting literature, we are able to apply our understanding of characters, drama, and the plot of the story to ourselves and to others, and this often leads to the realization that we are much more in common with others than we initially thought. I also believe that, through the discussion of literature, we are able to gain better insight of ourselves and of the perspectives of others. By gaining this insight, we are able to feel less alone and more connected to society as a whole. Because of this, I agree that “that is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong” (Fitzgerald, 2022). Angulo 4 Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. S. (2022). F. Scott Fitzgerald Quotes. Retrieved 04 30, 2022, from Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/f-scott-fitzgerald - When we read we realize that other people shae the same emotions and difficulties tat we di. This fosters a sense of solidarity with the rest of society, and we feel less alone in the word.
