THE LIBRARY CARD :: Four levels

SUMMARY

      One day Richard went his office earlier than others. He found newspapers and started free reading. In the editorial page he found one of the popular white writers H.L. Mencken was called fool and dominated by another white writer. He had never seen such happens before. It means making a laugh of a white by another white. One curiosity to read the books written by Mencken was grown up in his mind. But there was a problem to read those books because he had no library card as well as he could not read properly. But the curiosity overpowers him. And, he asked to Mr. Falk for a library card. Mr. Falk gave him his wife’s library card. Taking that card he went to library and asked to librarian to give the books written by Mencken. The librarian said him to tell the book’s name which he wanted. But, he had no idea about the books written by Mencken. At last the librarian handed him two books of Mencken named ‘a book of prefaces’ and ‘prejudices’. Taking those books he went his room and started reading. He faced very difficulties on reading; even he did not know some pronunciation of words. But he completed those books. And found him being different. He thought he used to live in dark. He knew why Negro people are hated by whites? He knew the straggle faced by his mother to grow up him. He found that there can be a war by words. He knew being dominated by whites always. So he thought to organize the black people against white. But he remembered his grandfather’s death by doing that. He thought to drink and commit adultery to forget the world. But he couldn’t because he has become a literate now. Those activities did not show up him.

INTERPRETATION

      In this story one illiterate person changes by the curiosity of reading books. So, this may be telling us that we need to be curious in reading. Reading can change our mind and makes us literate. The more we read the more we know about the world. This is always beneficial to us. The main key to become a successful person is only the hard working and curiosity to know about anything. If we left the things which we didn’t know for future, then we will never those things in future, and we never get success in our life.   

CRITICAL THINKING

      As a critical thinker, I thought that how can a white person give his library card to black? Can a literate person think about to drink and commit adultery to forget the world? In this story here is not the part of getting success of that person in his life. Reader may have a curiosity to know further about that person, if further moments have included in this this story, this may attracts more than before. Because nobody can live just reading the books in whole life. What did he done to run his daily life?

ASSIMILATION

      This story totally changed my mind. I got changed myself after reading this. The struggle of that person really touches my heart and makes me to do hard work. And, I used to think that there is no value of reading the books which are out of our syllabus. But this story grows my curiosity to read further books. I knew that wealth is nothing for a person but knowledge is everything. That person can earn wealth and publicity that is knowledgeable. So, after reading this story I promised myself to hard work and read the books.