Mimi 1
Mimi Franklin
English 112-AC1
Professor Dunn
10 February, 2019
Rome Wasn’t Built in A Day
Despite growing up in a household where reading is encouraged I merely thought of it as a way to pass the time. Even though I wrote many book reports for school, and even ventured out and read a Jane Austen novel, I never understood what people saw in books. That was until I independently picked up a George Orwell book freshman year of high school. Now, I can assure you I did not intend for this book to prompt a full blown passion to want to read every book in the library, but what do you know? That is exactly what this book made me want to do. Just like Malcolm X in “Learning How to Read” I was always with a book. Glued to it during recess, lunch, and sometimes, dare I say, in class. I loved the knowledge reading gave me. It allowed me to connect ideas and visualize a whole new narrative of the world. What also made reading thrilling were the many questions my classmates would ask me on what book I was reading and what it was about. These questions gave me the opportunity to teach in a different kind of way. I was not only explaining the book, but also discussing new ideas, themes, and even past books I have read. After a couple of months, my taste in books matured. I went from reading Animal Farm written by George Orwell to Lolita written by Vladimir Nabokov. My passion for books evolved into me wanting to create a book club. So, I recruited fellow classmates and discussed books that had an impact on us such as The Bell Jar written by Sylvia Plath and Tender is The Night written by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
I always had difficulty expressing myself and thoughts perfectly on paper. I never looked forward to writing assignments, nor getting them back from teachers. No matter how long I spent on a paper I never understood why I just wasn’t getting the marks I believed I deserved. It made me feel frustrated and even hopeless. Therefore, after many failing grades, I started to accept that my writing cannot be improved. However, that attitude wasn’t accepted by my older sister. She is not only an avid reader, but a phenomenal writer. She sat down with me every night for months and reviewed the grammar rules, as well as the best way to construct sentences. It was then that I understood that the books I appreciate and enjoy so much owe a great debt to grammar rules. Rules give the author the ability to write a beautifully fashioned story.
A quote that really resonated with me from this experience is from F. Scott Fitzgerald, “In any case you mustn’t confuse a single failure with a final defeat” (256). This quote inspired me to start writing again. I began to notice the power of words when I would read newspapers, listen to songs, or even watch movies.
One book that profoundly affected me is Lolita written by Nabokov. I remember thinking, What made Nabokov write such a book? That is until I decided to write an article about this book for my school newspaper, the Grapevine. I wanted to write about how Nabokov used language to make his point. I did research and discussed the book with people. The conclusion I came up with for my article is the power of words. As Nabokov wrote, “I need you, the reader, to imagine us, for we don’t really exist if you don’t” (85). With this idea in mind, I began writing with my newfound knowledge. Now I know most of you are going to say, “Newfound knowledge? Please everyone knows the power of words.” However, every person I asked, who read the book, confessed that the beautiful words lead them to overlook Humbert’s pedophilia. I discovered that this is one of the reasons why Nabokov wrote this story. He wanted to truly express the hold words can have on reader, to the point that they almost forget what they are reading. When I finished the piece, I submitted it to the paper. Don’t get me wrong, I was nervous that I still wasn’t a good writer. However, after my piece was published I got stopped in the hallways by fellow students and teachers who wanted to congratulate me. This made me proud that I put myself out there and actually published an article. Here’s for taking baby steps.
I grew up in a large family, which wasn’t always easy. Everyone had an opinion, and being one of the youngest I found it hard for me to be heard. So, when I wrote this article it made me feel the exact opposite. Writing became my solace; a way to express myself. I understand how writing can be fearful, no one wants to see red marks slashed all over their paper, or be told what they had written doesn’t have enough value. However, I learned that practice makes perfect, and that the best way to learn is to continue putting yourself out there.
I have come to acknowledge the value of reading and writing. If you don’t read, you don’t question ideas, or learn how to form independent thoughts. If you don’t write, you can’t document world events or important information. To be honest, I still enjoy reading over writing. Even though writing allows you to access a whole other world, reading takes you there. I remember being so engrossed in East of Eden written by John Steinbeck that I almost missed my train stop. I am incredibly grateful that we have access to books and the freedom to write, since without either of them I would be lost. You don’t need to become an amazing writer overnight, or read every book out there — Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Writing 