The image depicts a man walking into a well lit, jubilant looking book. The book contains a family making dinner. The color scheme is warm and welcoming, with lots of light browns and yellows. The characters in the book are greeting him, and one gestures towards a chair, signaling for him to sit down and have dinner with them. I think that it means the man is not part of the book, but he feels like he is. He considers it a safe space and thinks of the characters in the book as family, regardless that they don't truly exist. The space around the book, where he came from, seems dark and cold. I gather that he prefers the book to his real life. Maybe he doesn't have a family, or is he does they are not warm and welcoming like the one in the book. Maybe reading the book calms him down and gives him hope for a better future. Like the man in the picture, i also use books to escape the harsh reality of life.
Well to me it means that there are entire lives contained in books, and there's more to discover even than the book itself says, because the character's lives extend outside of what we have witnessed.
I think this image shows how people can relate to books that they read. It looks like the man is walking into the book, and inside the book is his family, waving to him and telling him to come and eat with them. Books that you can relate to have the most impact on you because you become more focused on the story. This image shows that sometimes you can relate to a book or story, as you would your friends and family.
@Jude Lucido I love what you said about books relating to people have more of an impact. The more that i relate to a book, the more i feel like reading it. I can read books all day that dont relate to me, but at the end of the day am i really enjoying it?
I like this image because it shows the true meaning of a book. Lately I have been enjoying books because I've become more interested with them. I've become a better reader and something that has sparked my interest is that there is so much more to the writing than just whats on the surface. The author of the book has chosen the words to speak but he's also chosen to leave details out of the story. And every book is different so you'll never find the same thing.
A book quietly sits on the red oak shelf. The bronze spine shown only through the other books. It calls her. The small girl walks to the shelf and picks the book up. Opening the cover she is transformed into the story. Slaying dragons, saving people from burning buildings, and magic spells only brings you to one place. Your kitchen table. Stepping into the story on to the yellow and white checkerboard floor she is transfigured into the characters and their lives.
Books have this special way of transforming you into the lives that the authors make. Each page you turn brings a new step in the overall story of life. Bringing you into this environment without looking back and confusing what is real. This is the strategy in which all great authors strive to achieve for their readers.
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From what I can tell, the people at the table are all present and engaged due to their lack of smartphones or other devices. The color scheme of the setting is a brown similar to some black and white photos. There’s also a telephone on the wall, which is pretty outdated. I believe the illustration is saying one, which is the one in the illustration who is entering the image, has to read, a past time not as popular anymore, in order to be a part of a present environment. Ironically, one has to disconnect in order to feel connected.
@Dulce Revolorio THis is an interesting way to think about it, I never noticed it. I agree with what you said about the brown color scheme, it does add an old-timey feel to the picture.
Here it was. Here was the book.
I pulled it gently from the shelf and studied its cover. I hadn’t held it in my hands for so long, but it felt familiar.
I remember the day I’d first found it. My friends and I had been in a huge fight, and I had lost myself in its pages to drown out the noise. I carried it with me everywhere. I took it in the car, to school, to church, to my brother’s lacrosse games- everywhere. When I got to the end, I just started it again.
Eventually, Time wore on and it collected dust on my shelf. It’s been years since I’d read it, but I can already hear it whispering to me, telling me to let it take me home. If I opened it now, it would be like I never left. I'd find all the characters I had known like family there for me; I'd find their unwavering support. I would walk into a world that had become my home when I felt like my real one was being torn apart.
I wonder how many people feel this way about their favorite books. I think many must. When we see our world start to crumble- be it on the news or a family situation or death- we turn back to consistency in our lives. We come back to the place we feel most comfortable- where there is a place set at the table for us. And for many of us, that is a book. This small, square thing in our hands made up of ink and crinkly paper. How could it have a whole world inside it? How could such a small thing become so priceless?
It is the bond we have created to the people inside that make them the most meaningful.
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I think that the guy outside the book is the reader, and that he is apart of what he is reading by painting a picture of the words in his head. While reading a book, people can forget what’s going on outside of themselves and be so focused on what's playing in their heads. This is something I do all the time because when I read in class or even by myself, I don’t realize anything besides what I’m reading. I believe that this adds to me constantly having images in my mind for what is going on in the book. It is a good way to truly grasp what is happening in the story.
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@Katherine Lennon Reading takes you to this world, where you escape reality. This place of adventure and creativity. I agree. You put yourselves in their shoes and totally lose focus of your surroundings. When I read I become anxious and always want the best for the characters. I find myself feeling for this character and supporting them. Books take you to this place, like nothing else can. They open new doors and teach you things without leaving your house.
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Books are just words on paper. They’re a look into a different society that we normally don’t get to experience in our everyday lives. The amazing thing about it is everyone can interpret the stories differently. Yes the main plot line is the same for everyone, but the hidden symbols can be interpreted differently. “ Any knowledge that doesn't lead to new questions quickly dies out: it fails to maintain the temperature required for sustaining life”, this quote taken from Wislawa Szymborska shows how essential books are. The knowledge society recieves from books help us build common day arguments and make life better.
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@Ellie Saguto I totally agree that everyone looks at book's differently. I think it's hard to view the same perspective as other people but when you are able to it is very mind-opening and gives you different perspectives and opinions.
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I think the image show a book has story weather it fiction or not. The person outside the book is the reader. When reading we think about what the scene is like in the story in our head. Just like how the reader is looking to to see what is going on in the story. The people that are inside is following the story almost like a play, and the reader is the audience. My opinion about this image is that it could have multiple meaning. If I look at this image as how the world is today is that family are always supportive, you can be the one standing outside looking for help as you enter the book, you can feel the love and happiness sitting at the table with family.
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I see in this picture that there is a guy walking into the scene in the book. I believe that the guy is the reader, and that he is entering what he is reading by painting a picture of the words in his head. When reading a book, people can forget almost completely about what’s going on outside of their heads and move to what’s inside their heads, which is the story.
I can relate to this, because when I have read before in class or by myself, I don’t ever really realize anything besides what I’m reading, and I constantly have images in my mind for what is going on in the book. It’s almost as if it really is a new world I’m in, which goes back to what I believe the picture is saying.
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I absolutely love to read. I love sitting down with hot tea and a book on a cold rainy day, I could spend all day reading and sometimes I do. For me reading is an escape from the day to day chaos of life. It's also so much more than that though, it's like a second home. A couple of years ago I didn't have very many friends, I simply wasn't doing very well but whenever I picked up a new book I felt like I was okay and I felt safe and at home. You pick up a book and you are put into this whole new world.
I think that's what this image is trying to depict, that every book has a different story a different world, every book takes you to a new place, and every book has the ability to save you from what's going on in the real world. This image shows that books can change your perspective on life and society.
After reading Varian Johnson's article the societal impacts of the picture are a lot more evident and it gives you a new look at the picture. Now not only do I see this image as a book that is an escape, I see it as a book that's learning about black history.
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@Emily Suit I also love enjoying a book. I can go to so many places within an evening. Reading for leisure is the absolute best way to enjoy a book. Sometimes I feel like we can be forced into stories that don't feel like coming home. Instead, I feel like "coming home" should be the story that is from your interest.
I agree with your depiction of the prompt. I would only add that books come with no judgment. They welcome you with open arms. Books allow you to watch a life that might be completely different than yours play out. That's my favorite part of a book. I can figuratively "walk a mile in their shoes" without leaving my room. Books can help you empathize because you now have a glimpse into someone's potential life. The more worlds you experience over your lifetime will set you up to be a kinder person and teach you things about yourself along the way.
This image shows how books allow you to escape from reality. I think the black background and the light inside of the book is saying that once you enter a book, you don’t have to worry about anything, and you can forget about problems you may be having. The family inside the book welcoming the man walking inside the book shows how reading allows you to explore the lives of others and learn more about history. Books allow you to see things from other peoples perspective and once you enter a book, you become a part of it, and you experience the events with the characters. There are so many lessons you can learn from books and they allow you to grow so much as a person.
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Books are known to bring you into a different reality. In my opinion i believe that this picture is trying to tell us even if our reality is dark and painful we can read a book so we can escape for a little bit. The picture shows a dark room with a book wide open. The darkness of the room is your reality and the light and loving family in the book is your escape. When you read books you get to feel the characters' emotions. So the boy walking into the book is like the person reading it. They are stepping into the book's story.
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I think this image touches on how realistic books are. The image shows a man stepping into the book or stepping into the story, all the people that see him wave to him like he’s someone they know. To me this is showing books as an escape from everything going on. If you can really put yourself into the book you are experiencing someone else's story and someone else's life. It is important to put yourself in other people’s shoes and experience their story because we can learn to have empathy, books are a great way to learn how others live and understand that way of life. I think this is a good lesson for everyone, books play an important role in how we see others and how we learn from seeing others.
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@Emma McLaughlin I completely agree with the point you made about books being an escape, that's definitely how I see books I believe that every story opens so many new possibility's and makes you feel so many different emotions. I also think that its very important to put yourself in others shoes and learn from there day to day life. overall I really liked your comment and I agree with everything you said.
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This picture makes me relate to how I can get lost in books. The book is illuminated, while everything else is faded out. When I get really into a book I tune everything out, and get so enraptured in the story that I picture the story in my head as I read along. The picture shows a person with his hand against a seemingly invisible wall. This further depicts how when you go through a story it almost seems like you are looking at them through a window, like you’re in their world. Maybe the man on the outside doesn’t like his life and instead reads and immerses himself in a world where he has things he wishes he could have. Such as the warm scene of a family enjoying a meal together.
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To open a book and escape into a world of fantasy and travels, seems to be the ultimate paradise. I am currently reading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo but in my mind I'm in 1832 France.
Books are more than just a leather cover with papers inside. Each novel holds a story of characters and their troubles and triumphs. True or fiction, these typed time capsules hold morals and themes for us to interpret and apply to our lives.
Black history month is a time when our whole nation has the opportunity to learn about the struggles and path that black men and women rose to freedom. In our English class we are viewing TedTalks that target diversity and racist issues and each performance represents a story. One includes a black man and his family being declined by apartment tenants simply because of their skin color. If I’m being honest, I was shocked because I thought America had claim freedom for all but I guess that didn’t mean equality.
If you’re thinking about which book to read, find own about a leader or influential being and put yourself in their shoes. Like the TedTalk said, you have to become comfortable being uncomfortable.
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For me, books are a place to hide. After a long day, all I want to do is go home under my covers and read. Reading is my escape. Books are a comfortable place where my mind is allowed to wander. The ability to imagine whole worlds, whole universes is a power gifted among few.
The picture depicts a man on the edges of a book looking at a family. He’s approaching the family, and being accepted into the book. I believe this symbolizes how in society it’s easy to feel out of place, it’s easy to feel as though you’re by yourself in this world that feels so full at times. When I read, I feel as though I am being put into place, I am being immersed in a world that accepts me and wants me there.
Just like Varian Johnson, the author of the related article, I believe it is important for every single kid to have a home in books like I have found. I agree with Johnson that although it may not be as adventurous to read fiction as opposed to nonfiction, in order to understand the truths of our humanity, it is almost crucial. Having an understanding where you have come from, but being able to find your own place in the world is through reading. Fiction and nonfiction.
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A book Is stories
But books are more than stories
They can change our lives.
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I believe that this photo is trying to say many things about the inside of a book. I think it’s trying to show that books can be a light in times of darkness. In this photo the entire background is black, except for the inside of the book. This may represent that the book is a good light thing that people can turn to when their life is all dark. Books can take you out of reality and transport you to another reality where only that story exists. This can be amazing in times of hardship when all you want to do is forget about your real life. Books can do just that. I think this illustration further emphasizes that by having a simple domestic scene. A family dinner is see as a positive thing and that simple positive thing can distract you from what’s really going on.
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@Kaylee W. Totally agree on the whole dinner scene, just looking at that makes me feel all cozy inside. Books can help people in dire times by transporting them into a world where they are welcomed and taken care of. There are people that care for your well being, who are multi-layered and complex but can also just be simple and nurturing. A safe haven where the darkness of the world can be set ablaze with even the tiniest of light. The one paradise you can reach, by a simple read and turn of a page.
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For me, this image represents a reader and the book that they are reading; the book welcomes the reader in, with no judgement, to allow them to be able to lose themselves in another world, and take a step away from reality. Books are a place where people can let their imagination go, and where there are no restrictions on what is being written. Each individual has their own unique view of a story; the scenery, the characters, plot, ect., all take on a different form in the reader's mind, no two people envisioning a story in the same way--this is something that I find very cool. Beyond that, books allow people to apply the themes and messages that are revealed in the book to their own lives. They can learn, grow, and even encounter new experiences from a book, helping to shape them into a better person. So, while the image just depicts a person walking into a scene from a book, I think it represents way more than that; it represents the effect that books have on people, and the lasting impression that they leave with them.
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@Kendall Hermanson
I agree with your assessment, but I think it also shows how book characters are like a family to some readers. We hear so much about their lives and we’re basically placed in the middle of their stories, so we can become emotionally invested in their journeys, like a friend or family member. Sometimes it can be nice to use these books as an escape, to have a different life for a few minutes as we immerse ourselves in them, and I’ve found, like you have, that books can even bleed into our real lives and influence us there, as real relatives and friends would.
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I think that this is telling the story of how a family spends time together and eats dinner as a whole family. In today’s society, I feel that we don’t typically spend much time together with our families as they did in the past and also how we are more disconnected from each other. The image is representation of what family time used to be and compared to now, I think it seems odd and ill fitting in today’s society where people eat dinner and watch videos on their phones. I think the message is trying to tell us that we should spend more time with family and stay connected while we still have the opportunity to do so.
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We have all heard about the tv families, and how they are very idealistic and perfect, and I feel that this piece is trying to emulate the same story about the ideal family but instead of from the tv, from a book. I feel that this style may have been popular in the past, but now the idea of a typical family has really evolved and there is truly no one ideal family. Therefore, I disagree with what is image is trying to convert to us.
I believe this illustration is telling us that stories can be more than words in a book, and that they can come alive and paint a picture for us to see and understand. Reading the story and getting your mindset into the other characters can help you see this image of what is really going on, and really get to understand the meaning of the story. I feel like it is important to be able to see and understand the story you are reading and help make it come to life in your mind.
The book on top of the table
The table inside the book
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I believe that this illustration is commenting on how each book has it own little universe and how each will welcome you with open arms. I love the fact that the setting is the kitchen. Many people know the saying that the kitchen is the heart of the home and that’s so true. The fact the guy who is walking in is most likely joining them for dinner is even more impactful. In my family we like to talk about our day and tell stories around the table. The fact that they are beckoning him to come sit down with them is like they are welcoming him to the family and will tell him their story.
As a person who struggles to get close to people out of fear of what they would think of me, books have always been my escape. Opening up a new book is like meeting a bunch of new friends. It is fun and exciting. Opening up a book that you have read before is like meeting up with old friends you haven’t talked to in along time. The best part is that these people love you just the way you are. They may just be fictional characters to most people, but too the fans and diehard readers they are more real than the real world.
I think this illustration is saying that the characters in books can really come to life. When you try to imagine the people in a book they start to become real. It goes beyond what the author is writing. Once you have tapped into who the character really is you start to see things through their eyes. You start to think about how they would handle certain situations and really understand who they are and what they have been through.
@Mya Ferguson
Your idea of the characters coming alive was the first thing I thought of when I saw this picture as well. Every time I open and read a book, I can almost see the characters acting out their lives in front of me. Even in this picture, the man stepping onto the page from the right could represent the introduction of a new character. The only thing I didn’t understand was why the world outside the book was darker than the inside.
The article that goes along with this image infers that the picture is a scene from a newly revamped book about black history. There’s not a hint of sadness anywhere, indicating that this isn’t just some generic textbook about the suffering of slaves that doesn’t help us feel connected to the characters when we read it. Books usually feel so alive when we read them, so reading books overflowing with the suffering of past generations of African Americans feels like a dark cloud looming over the reader. They dampen our thoughts and block our chance at having hope for the future. Instead, picking up a book that brings light instead of darkness on issues surrounding black Americans gives us hope.
Historical fiction isn’t my favorite type of genre to read, but I would definitely make an exception considering it is almost the end of Black History Month. I’ll be sure to grab a book like the one shown in the picture, where the lights inside up brighter than the world outside.