When I reflect on my literacy experience, I inevitably think of two things: my old high school library and Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. During my high school years, the library was my refuge. A typical day would find me loitering in the library, rummaging for new paperbacks on the rotating display racks. I was a voracious reader of authors in the order of V.C. Andrews, Lois Duncan, and S.E. Hinton. My books of choice were accessible and largely for entertainment purposes only. I loved inspecting the cover art and flipping through the pages. The internet was not around to occupy my time in the early 80's. I employed books to escape from my reality. I was a typical teenager living in an isolated Texas town with few distractions.
…show more content…
I was confident it was irrelevant to my experience. Surprisingly, I could relate to Santiago. Yes, as an 80's era teenager, I could still relate to the old fisherman who was an outsider in his community. Due to his age and unlucky streak, Santiago had become an outsider. Being a minority in a predominately white community made me an outsider as well. I was part of a hard working family with a humble home and modest belongings. Notwithstanding, I still had pride. I could identify with Santiago's hardship and his desire to not be defeated. Like all great works of literature, the book inspired me to reflect on my own experiences. Despite being written in 1951, this book was not irrelevant. On the contrary, it was obvious that the subject matter was universal to the human experience. Suddenly, I wanted to read more of Ernest Hemingway’s work.
With the misconceptions gone, I was able to aspire to a higher level of literary works. Hemingway had a powerful impact on my view of classical literature. My passion to read classical literature was born. I developed a desire for stories that had deeper layers of meaning that I could delve into. I ventured past Hemingway as my taste in literature matured. Reading classic literature no longer seemed like work, but a pleasure. I have gone on to read numerous great works of literature and ultimately I always credit my passion for the classics to
I was confident it was irrelevant to my experience. Surprisingly, I could relate to Santiago. Yes, as an 80's era teenager, I could still relate to the old fisherman who was an outsider in his community. Due to his age and unlucky streak, Santiago had become an outsider. Being a minority in a predominately white community made me an outsider as well. I was part of a hard working family with a humble home and modest belongings. Notwithstanding, I still had pride. I could identify with Santiago's hardship and his desire to not be defeated. Like all great works of literature, the book inspired me to reflect on my own experiences. Despite being written in 1951, this book was not irrelevant. On the contrary, it was obvious that the subject matter was universal to the human experience. Suddenly, I wanted to read more of Ernest Hemingway’s work.
With the misconceptions gone, I was able to aspire to a higher level of literary works. Hemingway had a powerful impact on my view of classical literature. My passion to read classical literature was born. I developed a desire for stories that had deeper layers of meaning that I could delve into. I ventured past Hemingway as my taste in literature matured. Reading classic literature no longer seemed like work, but a pleasure. I have gone on to read numerous great works of literature and ultimately I always credit my passion for the classics to