How great would a world without people,
without anyone else, be to the most avid of readers? He would have all the
books and libraries in the world to himself, his own never-ending supply of
enjoyment. All day he would spend in his chair, reading book after book day
after day, all to his own pleasure. But what if this man had imperfect vision,
and required glasses; God-forbid he should break his only pair of them. An
episode of The Twilight Zone explored
this man’s predicament as they portrayed him unable to continue on in a world
of all he ever wanted. The man knew not of how to fix his glasses; he was
supremely unknowledgeable on everything except for reading books. And when he faced
a problem which prevented him from doing his favorite activity, there was
nothing he could to fix it. He had no knowledge of how to fix his glasses, and
he lacked the innovative ability to figure out how. This man, as most avid
readers are, was inhibited by the narrow views and knowledge impressed upon him
by the many books he read, while truly great thinkers are uninfringed upon by
books and able to be innovative through their use of real-life experience and
wisdom.
Textbooks are used in high school
classes worldwide to provide instruction to students, and multiple books are
assigned each year just for English classes in order to teach proper writing.
However, a good teacher will hold multiple discussions with students in between
chapters of Shakespeare’s Merchant of
Venice, hoping to yield all-important analysis from even the shyest
student. A good teacher will strive to get students to form opinions of their
own, to form their own understanding of mercy and attachment and comprehend the
applicability of these motifs in the real world. This analysis is often times
quite varied among the students, yet it is all commended- the mere recognition
of an individual opinion is the first goal. Teachers recognize the importance
of teaching historical facts and writing styles through books, but they also
know that the ability to understand and form an individual opinion is even more
important. Mere reliance on the text itself is not sufficient.
This is why the world’s greatest thinker
are not the ones who spend their times in libraries all day, but rather those
who go out and do on their own. Books impede this process by making the
reader reliant on the information in the text and therefore unable to
themselves “further the race of man”-the narrow “teachings” of written out
books offer little room for creative originality. Without books, man is free do
make whatever decision he wants without constant reliance on a source foreign
to himself, much like a man who feels no complement to rely on another man. Where
would half of our country be if it were not for the Louisiana Purchase under
Thomas Jefferson’s presidency? Literally, we wouldn’t have it. However, most
people don’t know that the actual purchase was made by Robert Livingston, in
France, far from Jefferson’s explicit instruction. Napoleon made the initial
offer to Livingston for an area that would double the U.S. Livingston had only
come for New Orleans. However, being the innovative thinker he was, Livingston
was able to seal the deal himself, without having to go home to Jefferson and
ask.
Livingston
was able to think for himself, without the necessary instruction of Jefferson.
In the same way, great thinkers of our world are able to innovate, themselves,
without the influence of books. Truly, how can one enlighten the world and
“further the race of man” through books? The only knowledge in those books has
already been discovered! In contrast, the world offers continuously-fresh
ideas, knowledge and beliefs, all with which only the open-mind of a great
thinker can put to use.
Books,
like an overbearing boss, inhibit innovation. The narrow beliefs they offer
restrict progress, while those who refrain from avid reading are open to
abundant paths toward enlightenment.
Statement: This writing is
“excellent” because it is well structured. The essay begins with an interesting
example from a modern-ish television program that most people have heard of-
this attracts the audience’s attention while helping to establish my argument.
After finishing the intro with a unique thesis, I use the play Merchant of Venice as concrete evidence
to support my claim, while at the same time appealing to the values and insight
of my audience, being a teacher. I also analyze a certain practice- being
Socratic Seminars- for a higher purpose. I then use an analogy to compare the
effect of books to a piece of history most people are at least familiar with-
the Louisiana Purchase. Through this analogy I appeal to the audience’s logos
as I make the connection between being free from the reliance of books and
being free from the reliance of a boss. This helps the audience to further
comprehend my argument. Finally I insert a final bit of quick, syllogistic reason
before I restate my argument in my short conclusion. Overall the essay explains
to the reader my argument and reinforces it with both examples and logic.
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