“Why did I become such a reader in the first place? What made me so susceptible to the figments I coaxed from the printed page? Was it something innate in my disposition (both grandparents on my father’s side had been literary people back in Latvia), or some fortuitous early exposure (the fact that my mother delighted in reading me stories)? Or were the influences of greater psychological complexity, having to do with the fact that our family spoke another language (Latvian) at home, a fact that marked my childhood deeply and filled me with a sense of being different? Or was reading just my way of blocking out family tensions- my father’s strictness, the unpredictable faring of his temper? I would have to circle all the above.”
For Birkerts, reading was to be hidden from his father. This is why he considered reading a different language because only he understood it and no one else. He knew that he would be made fun of by his father if he found out that he was reading. His father thought reading was a “feminine principle” to society (38). He thought reading in private was the best way to hide his emotions and get captivated from reading. Hiding from the world was when he separated himself from the outside drama or chaos. To him, reading was a learning experience between him and the book.
As a child, Birkerts was not able to live a “normal” childhood. Even though his father put him down about reading, Birkerts knew that he could have a more educated mind and a greater imagination if he did read. His reason for not channeling in on technology is for this purpose. He believes that books should be taken seriously and should be handled with care. In other words, technology should not be brought into society. Technology is being taken over as the “new book” or the “new series” and are allowing people to explore in a more broaden atmosphere. To Birkerts, he does not acknowledge this. Paper back books should be treasured and loved. The imagination should be worked to create a story and to find better answers than looking them up online. Technology is ruining society in a sense that many are becaming more attuned to the outside world. To me, this is what Birkerts believes. He thinks people should struggle to find the story interesting and to find an answer.
Shouldn’t technology be an easy access tool for someone who needs help in finding the answer? Do you not want other resources to be helpful? Helping the mind to find an answer can lead to a better idea of a story or situation. It can help the person become more engaged and create something new in their head. If other resources help someone then that makes the brain more excited and leads to a bigger discussion. A story could have many different explanations and sometimes someone needs to be helped. Many need to be turned to the right direction and technology can help that.
